My Elizabeth
by BettyBest2
Summary: Meliodas is the young Prince wanting to know more about his clan's enemies, the goddesses. After sneaking from his realm he runs into a young goddess who somehow manages to work her way under his skin and become important to him. But not everything's right with his friend as he starts to notice signs of her hurt.
1. Chapter 1

As written on my profile, this is an incomplete work I'm posting. You can go there to see the entire explanation.

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 **~1~**

The first time he sees a goddess, he's unimpressed.

It's in a large painting his Father has done for the Great Hall of the castle. The Demon King towers over her, monstrous and impressive as ever. His massive sword hooked at the tip, is bloodied and smeared with the rain and dirt that crashes down in the picture. The goddess is on the ground at his Father's feet, just as massive and powerful appearing, though she's clearly defeated by the red pooling around her.

Meliodas notices only three things about her he cares to recall. Her eyes, even in the bleak picture, are a startling ice blue hollowed in her death. Her ten wings must've been hell to manage—he has a hard time grappling with two when he can conjure them, let alone ten. And her hair is the deepest red he's ever seen, though he's not sure if it's from the blood or a natural shade.

After seeing for the first time what demons always hiss at, Meliodas takes it upon himself to ask around about them—not to his Father, of course. Meliodas knows himself to be the King's pride and joy. He knows he's going to one day become just like the monstrous demon and should learn all he can from him. But Meliodas also knows that he hardly comes up to his Father's ankle let alone one day coming to his knee. Going down to the caves that give the feeling of swallowing up everything inside you also keeps the young demon from venturing towards the guidance of his Father.

Instead he prods his tutor about the winged beings of light, eager to know why they're worthy of a demon's wrath.

They're in a vast room of tables and demons of all shapes and sizes, colors too. A few windows off to one side give a view of the rocky lands, spouting lava, and swirling clouds above. It's always so dark. But the flames mounted on the walls shed just enough light in his opinion. His tutor, graying and suffering a twitch in his left eye most believe to be a frequent wink, stands in front of them all intent on teaching them how to pour more power into the flames they can create.

Meliodas watches with his hand on his fist, eyes lidded in boredom as flames melt from the man's hands singing the stone floors. He can sense the wall of heat coming from them and groans as he remembers their lesson for the next week—whetting their senses.

The tutor's eyes, a sharp kind of black, land on him before multiple twitches overtake his left eye. "What is it, Meliodas? You usually excel at these exercises." His voice has an ancient chime to it similar to the flipping of old dusty pages in a book.

Meliodas glares around at the other demons playing with fire, burning holes in their desks and grimaces. "I want to learn about goddesses." He was always one to get straight to the point. His eyes hook onto his tutor standing before his desk now, cold as onyx stone. "Toying with flames is child's play. Something I did when I was a toddler. I want to put my fighting skills to use." The desire to advance on the more dangerous and gory act must burn across his face in a vicious smile because the man glowers down at him looking for all the world as if he's twitching like mad.

"You may know the basics, little Prince, but there is power in mastery and control. You are not ready to face a goddess nor would you survive an encounter with someone above your smarts." The man leans down and presses severely, "When you are ready, I will more than happily send you on your way. I deem you are not; therefore, do not bring it up again."

This graying demon is not the first tutor Meliodas has been taught under. Many before him have buckled beneath the Prince's status, others his natural dominance and downright cruel intent. It's lead him to very perilous situations in the past which he'd thrilled upon, but his Father completely despised. Those tutors were never heard from again, only rumored to have met a very agonized fate. That's when this man filled the role and he hasn't left since. That was years ago. That doesn't mean Meliodas hasn't tried.

Meliodas' young hands press against the aged wood of his desk as he slowly rises to stand at his admittedly unimpressive height. The piercing glint to his thin glare more than makes up for it. "I want to meet one and destroy them just as my Father did." His chest rumbles with the intimidation of a pup's growl, but the flames sparking at his fingers strikes just as hotly as a roaring storm.

The man bears his teeth before barking a forceful, _"Enough!"_ The room of excited chatter behind him falls silent instantly. Meliodas fails to relinquish his glare though his flames do go out much to his inner chagrin— _Perhaps I doesn't have all the control I hope for_ , the foreign thought comes before it's squashed down.

"All of you are dismissed. You did well for today." The demons preen with the praise behind him, he can feel it, and it disgusts him. "Except you," The tutor continues to him as the room thins out. A few twitches erupt just as the man gains a devious smile—a smile that only means one thing. "I have a punishment for you."

Meliodas grumbles loudly and falls back into his chair as his arms cross over his chest. Bits of wood crumple to the ground at his rough movement, not that he cares. What will it be this time? He's been put through lots of tedious mind numbing acts over the years from being forced to aid the cooks to knitting with seamstresses. All of which he had to do or face his Father's disappointment in his less than impressive acts in his lessons.

He blinks and parchment, glass bottles of colors, and oddly shaped brushes are sat in front of him. The smug look on the man's face as Meliodas gapes upwards at him makes the blond chafe with bitterness. "Paint something. And be original!"

With this he is left alone with only the flickering of flames and distant sounds of eruptions to keep him company. His hand encircles a brush as he snarls down at the page. He knows he can't escape this, will have to put something on the man's desk or risk being scolded—literally. But the anger bubbling beneath his skin makes him lash out in a swiping of his wrist. Colors fly through the air before crashing to the ground with a nice glittering ring. They bleed and mix on the ground before his eyes turning into something dark and murky. Familiar.

He tilts his head as wild bangs brush across his nose. The brush still in his left hand feels heavy but useful now as the anger seeps away with a resigned sigh. Maybe he can... His muted orbs roam over his desk finding a few colors still remaining—just the few he needs.

An hour later of mishaps and stray splotches later, Meliodas leaves the room after placing a painting of eyes on the tutor's desk. Eyes a cerulean, not ice, and much warmer and softer than he'd ever really witnessed before.

~.~.~

Meliodas eventually makes his way out of the stout building all children must make their way to in order to gain tutelage. It isn't too far from the ominous castle crafted from harsh stone jutting straight up from the mountains in the distance. That's his home where he's expected to return to. But the sting of indignation from before still resides like an unwanted residue. The words of his tutor refusing to go. He's leagues ahead of his peers in prowess, surely he deserves the right to at least know more about their enemy— _Certainly they don't all go around with ten wings sprouting from their backs?_

Meliodas clutches his fingers balling them up until they quiver at his sides. His eyes are cold in their stare off with the ground only gaining an inkling of warmth from the glow of lava catching faintly in his glare. "That old bastard will stay tight lipped on this no matter what I say or do." His eyes lift gradually reflecting the growing smirk spreading across his lips. "I guess that means finding answers on my own then."

His sudden focus never leaves the demons flying skyward, the years they have on him clearly enough to grant them leave from the realm without objection—exactly what he needs. Meliodas knows the settlements across the lands well enough even if he hasn't traveled to over half of them. He knows there aren't too many that surround the castle, thus the few demons he watches now. So if he were to simply yield his darkness and fly towards the darkened sky, hardly any would notice. It's a shaky plan, even he has to admit. If his absence is noted, anyone can report seeing a sole demon leaving the realm, but...

The reality of his chance is too close to simply pass up.

The air is humid against his skin so when be does manage to form his wings, after a few moments of twisting his expression in deep concentration that is, the frigidness spreading from inside out is a stark contrast. Getting into the air is easy. Making a graceful ascent is not. He's flown frequently sure, but there's still a certain disconnect—being on the ground and in control, then suddenly not and being sort of weightless—he has to adjust to each time. A kind of thrill begins to throb through his veins as he feels the wisps of ever present clouds draw nearer. His fingers twitch, the tips practically sparking with the magic in the air so keenly he's certain they grow numb. He has no clue of how this works, like every kid before him has never given it much thought. Now that he's seconds from colliding, he wonders if his decision of spontaneity was a smart one.

A swirl of dusky blues, purples, greens, reds, and the perpetual darkness opens up before his eyes.

"No turning back now."

A sharp pull unable to be resisted snaps forward pressing around him more snugly than his own skin drawing in his words, then last entire figure. The sky smoothes over an instant later becoming once more an unmoving pool of ink.

Meliodas on the other hand feels himself spat out unceremoniously from the bowels of some twisted binding of magic. His body lies flat on some ground still charged with the residues of diving between worlds. His eyes remain shut for the time being hoping to keep everything from spinning, his stomach from churning and his senses in check. He _never_ wants to do that again. The thought that he'll have to do so in order to return is swiftly kept out of mind for now.

His chest heaving in gulps of air finally steadies and that's when he realizes something. The air is... different. Usually it's dense, harsh, and slightly scraping down his throat. This though is light, fresh with tons of airy scents mingling through it that he can't quite name yet. Curiosity piqued, Meliodas' eyelids pull apart allowing a sliver of light to burn his gaze. Blinking several times to gain his vision, the young demon is suddenly given a full view of soft blues, whites, and rich greens. For an instant, he simply stares at the new sight until orange flutters gently overhead. _'Isn't that some kind of butterfly?'_

Clenching his fingers in the ground underneath him, Meliodas pulls himself into a seated position as his lips press tightly together. His eyes remain the only pane to the wonder glimmering in his soul. "What kind of place is this?" His voice is low maybe even hesitant as he eyes the grass tugged between his fingers. The world above is one he's learned of from the earth, to the rivers, to the ever stretching sky, but he hadn't thought much of it. Hadn't thought it'd be this... bright. But as he gazes around seeing the flowers wafting their unique aromas, the fruits dangling from trees, hears the chitter of creatures he's never seen, feels air milder than he ever thought possible, he can't imagine why he hadn't wanted to explore this place sooner.

The Underworld is his home, but this place can definitely be his playground.

Meliodas rises, then checks himself over to be sure that everything is in place as in his sword is still strapped to his hip. Once done, he eagerly wanders over to the first bush nearest him then squats beside it. A very stern look of consideration adorns his face furrowing his brows and scrunching up his mouth. Bunches of bright red berries dot the whole thing and the sweet fragrance is like nothing he's encountered before.

 _'Is it really smart to eat the first thing I see in a new world?'_

His hand halts mid air between him and the tempting fruit.

 _'How bad can it be though? I doubt something as measly as an itty bitty berry could poison a demon.'_

His hand resumes its intended course.

 _'Maybe not, but it could still make me sick.'_

His hand twitches irritated with logic.

 _'There's no telling until I try.'_

Meliodas turns from his perch a slight smudge of crimson on his lips and a noticeable patch of missing berries from the bush not too long later. A satisfied grin overtakes his features as he thinks of the not too sour yet not too sweet tasting fruit. "The berries are delicious. I wonder what else is interesting here..." He trails off with a devious tendril working into his tone.

Someone must've been listening as a weird sensation begins at his back then works quickly up his neck like the worst of crawling beneath his skin. A voice fills his ears in an excited cry that bounces off the trees. He thinks to turn to try and figure out what it could be. But then a body is colliding with his forcing his face into the crisp blades of grass.

" _Oh no!_ Oh, I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't mean to—Are you alright?"

 _'What... is that?'_ His mind is filled with cotton temporarily blocking his proper thought process as he takes in the strange voice alien only in the worry that blankets the light tone. When hands fall on his arm his mind swirls with clarity.

"Are you okay?"

 _This is a girl._

She careful rolls him onto his back.

Cold onyx meets the warmest cerulean.

Meliodas goes completely rigid as they continue to lock gazes. Not just any girl. _A goddess._

The first thing that washes across his mind besides the startling quality of her eyes is the four wings stiff behind her in anxiousness. He's almost relieved that they don't all go around with so many. But once the surprise begins to wear down self preservation kicks in with a swiftness he almost can't grasp... Meliodas scrambles back, his left hand drawing towards the hilt of his sword in readiness. This girl with wide eyes and framing silver hair is an enemy. Her air of innocence merely a shroud.

His eyebrows weigh his eyes down into slits. "What the hell is are you trying to do?" He whips out in a hiss.

The girl jumps looking more scolded than a kitten curling in on herself just slightly as her cheeks gain a peculiar flush. "I am sorry. I was looking for my, um, friends. I don't know much about sensing so when I heard something I just, well..." Quieter and softer her voice becomes until it floats away with the wind.

Meliodas grips the hilt of his sword with a bitter frown. _Foolish_. Irritation pricks at his skin urging him to pull them cut through her. This is his chance after all. To prove that he can stand against a goddess. His eyes trail over her figure for a moment though going over the slump of her shoulders and the dip of her head and he hesitates. "Don't you realize what I am?"

Her head jerks up and he's subjected fully to the vibrancy if her gaze. "Y-yes! You're... well, a demon, right?"

 _A demon, right?_ What kind of recognition is _that_? She should be shaking in her place before him yet instead she's strangely shy as if meeting someone new not someone who could lob her head clean of her shoulders. "What the hell kind of game are you playing?" He demands tightly growing irksome of her mind games. This must be what they do to get one to lower their guard.

She blinks then hesitantly curves her lips up oddly. "Well, we were playing a game of hide—"

Meliodas eliminates the space between them in a breath his hand encircling her upper arm as he crowds over her, his nose practically against hers as he glares into her eyes. "Are you trying to get killed? Is that it? Because I can gladly answer your call."

Her breathing becomes shaky. A sign of distress, surely. "You wouldn't do that, would you?" She looks genuinely saddened by this revelation and he outright laughs in her face.

"You're certainly pushing me, little goddess." Her blue eyes he'd had no option but to study, to notice and discover the strange entrancing illumination around her pupils turn down and away from his.

"I'm sorry." The two words sound so heavy as they crash between them, shattering; _weak_.

Meliodas lets her go and moves away with a scoff. "Pathetic." He spits out as he climbs to his feet, turning his back to her. Is this really what they feud against? They seem like nothing more than worthless nuisances to him. Meliodas looks around intended on leaving her behind wanting to find something actually worth his time in this new world. He makes it a mere three steps when she calls out.

 _"Wait!"_

His eyebrow twitches. The demon turns halfway to see her standing as well. Seeing her now, clearly the shorter of the two, so small, so fragile in comparison, he's truly stunned that she's from such a powerful race. "What?" He raises an eye ridge.

Now she seems to fumble with her words as she wrings her hands together. Even still she refuses to look away from his eyes. "I... Well, y-you don't have to leave..."

"And why is that?"

A few moments go by in silence, the strange sounds of insects around having become white nose long ago. She seems uncomfortable with answering and it's in a way fascinating. _'Maybe I can use this. I want to know what I can about them and this girl is practically handing me the opportunity_.' A smirk slips into his face as he eyes her. _'Why not?'_

"Fine. I'll stay. But I don't play games." He tells her evenly.

She lights up in a way he can only really compare to the power and flares that happens when magic collides in challenge. "Really!? You mean it?"

He coils his arms over his chest choosing not to answer.

She receives the message and hurries to fill in the blanks. "Okay! We don't have to play… um, what's your name?" Curiosity warms her face as she steps closer to him.

Should he even give her such a thing? He considers this and the long term. If he does plan on gaining information through her he might have an easier time if they're more familiar. At least through names. So he turns fully towards her. "Meliodas."

Her lips mouth it silently for a bit and then they curve once more, gently, the shape softened with content. "Well, Meliodas, my name is Elizabeth. It's very nice to meet you!" His gaze is so loaded with the oddity in her features he doesn't even notice when she stands before him hand stretched out to try and shake his hand. It's only when a tinkling sound of nervous laughter reaches his ears does he see her hand falling back to her side and a flash of _something_ rush across her eyes. "We don't have to play like I was saying before… Actually there's something I do need to do." Her voice from what he's heard deviates from its seemingly usual bubbliness and gains a casing of seriousness to it. He watches how her hand goes up to something dangling from her neck, a necklace of silver twisted and twined with an intricacy crafted by the hands of a true artisan no doubt. The rune of the goddesses is impossible to miss in the center. "I must discover my purpose."

Her purpose? That resonates with the demon prince pretty deeply. One's purpose is the very meaning of their magic, what they're meant to do with it and themselves essentially. Meliodas has known that he is meant to become the greatest demon that ever was and surpass his father one day since the moment he felt the cool tendrils of darkness arise beneath his skin growing stronger each day. It's a thrilling sensation knowing that he'll do great devastating things and all the power is at his very fingertips. He simply has to work at it, something he has no issues doing.

His expression becomes thoughtful as he looks her over. She hasn't yet to figure it out for herself yet? He doubts it could be anything remarkable, but surely she at least has an idea? He speaks up just as another deep orange butterfly flutters near the goddess whom excitedly extends a finger where it lands gently. "Don't you at least have some clue? Your power should give you an idea." he attempts to be informative.

But she simply looks up sheepish as she allows the butterfly to flit from her finger. "All I can do is this." her fingers on each hand curl towards each other at her words and ever so slowly he feels a pinch at the back of his mind in tandem with the golden glow he sees forming in between her palms. The pinch becomes an itch until it morphs into a dull sense of warmth, the light glow now appearing to be a twisting ball of harmless light.

His eyes go from it to her face then back again repeatedly. "That's it?" He questions in disbelief.

"Yep!"

He'd fall over in exasperation if he weren't soldered to the ground in anger. "So you're saying, you've have no clue, no hints, no where to even begin with this?"

"Nope!" She confirms with an all to cheery grin, the useless ball still swirling between her hands.

' _What have I just gotten myself into?'_


	2. Chapter 2

**~2~**

His first encounter with the goddess ended without fanfare. Elizabeth suddenly appeared troubled and then asked if they could meet there again in two days. He agreed without incident left to dimly assess his mental status as he'd just come face to face with a goddess and somehow it hadn't ended in bloodshed.

Now two days later after his surreptitious venture from the Underworld, Meliodas is certain his desire to know more is what drives him. Knowledge is often conceived as power after all.

Though as he sits and stays put, he learns something else as well.

Patience is a learned skill.

One that he is finding he doesn't enjoy trying to hone. Meliodas has been sitting in a patch of stiff grass beneath a tree for the better part of an hour _waiting_. And in that time he's resorted to counting the leaves in the trees that he can see, plucking the blades of grass at his sides and letting them blow away in the wind, and finally just observing the weird customs of squirrels chase each other in and out of his vision. He's beyond bored and his patience with the goddess he's been foolish enough to try and meet a second time has withered away.

Pushing up to his feet he angrily shoves his hands in his pockets feeling his ire sting beneath his skin at the colossal waste of time. "I should've just killed her when I had the chance, proved to that old coot that I'm more than capable of handling myself around them. I deserve to know more about our enemy damn it!" The petty snarl is muttered under his breath, hardening his expression as he stomps past a row of unruly bushes towards the emanating feeling of icy dread; his ticket back to the Underworld.

A sweet cadence pierces the air hoping to snag the missing something it seeks not a moment later however. " _Meliodas~!_ Meliodas, where are you?"

He spins around drawn by the sound and his head jerks up. He spies her not too far away, silver hair whipping about as her wings carry her effortlessly through the air. Wide cerulean eyes peer down intently through the forest searching and he almost feels like prey from the severity of her gaze. Then she spots him. It's like watching an explosion go off in her eyes they become so bright.

"Meliodas!" Her wings pull in and she drops through the air and before he can fully refill his lungs, she's in front of him, cheeks flushed with delight but eyes turned down bashfully. "I'm sorry I'm late." Then her eyes lift and his focus falls to the curve of her lips he'd thought about longer than was necessary the past two days trying to figure it out. The _smile_ she seems to gain around him and the ease in which it comes to her. "But I'm so happy you stayed!"

He jerks, shocked from the curious blanket that had began to fall across his mind from watching her expressions at her outburst. Stiffly he turns away from her as his eyebrows draw down. "I was just leaving." He informs her coldly intending to continue on his way.

But a petite palm falls around his arm freezing him more effectively than any words could. "Wait! I... I didn't mean to keep you waiting. I just needed to get something important that we'd need today."

He turns, pulling his arm from her hold, then lets his inky gaze graze her coolly in question.

She fidgets before him with clear guilt, twisting a fist into the frills of her dress. "Well, _take_ something is more like it. That's why it took so long. I just hope no one notices."

 _'Take something?'_ Well... he'll allow her this. A bit of thievery goes a long way in his book. A sharp smirk forms along his face making the goddess watch him with round eyes. "What exactly do you plan on having us do that involved stealing, little goddess?"

A small circle shapes her mouth in understanding before she grins. "Remember how I told you I wanted to find what my purpose was?"

He nods quickly in hopes of hurrying her explanation.

She bounces on the balls of her feet and he swears he spots a few animals poke their heads curiously from their hiding places in bushes and shrubbery watching her curiously. Her enthusiasm radiates from her in an almost tangible way. It's a bit odd and somewhat fitting. "So there's all kinds of goddesses in existence! Goddesses of Battle, Sacrifice, Love, Purity, Life, Ven—"

He places his palm over her mouth as a throb begin to rise at his temple. If he'd let her go on he's sure she'd talk him into the end of time. "I get it. What's the point?"

She blinks a few times startled at his physical way of shutting her up. It's only when her breath, warmer than the gentle breeze of the afternoon, tickles his hand does he snap backwards. Meliodas tucks his palms against his sides smoothly crossing his arms as he does to try and get rid of the strange tingle that had gone through them for a moment.

He watches as she seems to collect her words, the hand she'd used to stop him before going to finger the silver necklace she'd adorned that first day. Is she never without it? "Um, the point is that there is also something I heard the adults once call _subcategories,_ and I wanted to test one out today!"

 _'Sub categories? There seem to be as many different types of goddesses as there are demons...'_ His mouth opens about to point this out to her when his gaze happens to drift. A little to the side, just behind her he can do see the forest creatures huddled around in their pathetic covers, twitching from time to time, eyes still locked on Elizabeth. He looks at her too then, not seeing what the fuss is all about. She's a ray of sunshine in the pits of the forest, sure. But that's what he assumes all goddesses are like.

Officially weirded out by the animals, his hand snaps around her wrist with the efficiency of a cuff and begins to tug her away.

"Meliodas! W-what's wrong?" Her squeak makes him look back briefly. He notices her wings first all bristled out behind her in shock. A chortle escapes him before he spots a few of the animals daringly following.

His jaw tenses as his eyes gain a narrow shape under his bangs. Instead of answering her right away, he uses his growing annoyance as a sort of anker. There are shadows inside of him cold and unfeeling like darkness. Commanding them isn't easy as they seem to have a will of their own slipping through his fingers or overpowering him when he makes contact. He breathes in quickly encountering them as sharply as lightning. A grapple ensues as he tries to force them out, but after only a few heartbeats two inky wings emerge from his back. And without further delay he takes to the air, flying through a tight opening in the canopy of leaves above them, forcing Elizabeth to straighten herself beside him reflexively if she doesn't wish to be dragged along.

Finally releasing her wrist he gives a casual shrug, briefly flicking his eyes down to the shrinking forest behind them now. "Just wanted to get a move on."

Their eyes then clash allowing him to meld into the apparent awe glowing in her eyes. "You have wings too!? They're so different than mine! But I like them. They fit you!" Her teeth gleam in the sun as she grins making him nearly turn away. She's so freakishly bright, just like the lands they travel in and most likely the Celestial Realm too. He's so used to the darkness, so mirroring of its shadows, he's not entirely sure if all this light is tolerable or not.

"You know, I was actually worried about how we were going to get there... But now that you can fly, there's no time to waste." Her voice matches the crisp sweetness of the air plowing in his face. So overwhelmed by it he misses her reaching for him, until what he'll always classify as one of the softest things in existence grasps his rough excuse for a hand. "Come on!"

He doesn't really blame himself for allowing for the weird handhold on their journey. His mind becomes occupied with the landscapes they fly over ultimately. It's just like his first day, seeing so many greens, warm browns, bright colors splattered about as if spilled by accident. Yet everything fits. It's still new and overwhelming. So different and interesting. He wonders if he'll have the chance to touch everything one day. To find out if they're warm to his fingers, soft, or prickly. To smell and taste and experience this new world that's so unlike his own. He shouldn't want to, he knows. He doesn't belong in this place of light and discovery. But he's young and curious.

And a goddess happens to be intent on inadvertently showcasing the world and the answers to her race he seeks.

Who is he to deny gifts handed to him?

Meliodas is jerked from his quiet observation around him after an hour or so of drifting through the air when he notices just how hot his palm has become apparently still clutched in the goddess'. A cold pit forms in his stomach urging him to snatch his hand away. This is what triggers Elizabeth into turning her eyes upon him. The sheepish glint there doesn't thaw him in the slightest.

"I hope you don't mind. You seemed so taken with the sights I was afraid you'd drift off on your own if I didn't guide you."

His eyes narrow and he turns away with a twisting at his lips. He'd given her something to lord over him with. A hint of vulnerability that must've been plastered all over his face and through his eyes. He expects a tease about how childish he is for becoming excited over something as simple as landscapes.

It never comes.

It's a real shock to the prince. And for a moment he considers his rigidness towards her.

But then Elizabeth points out in voice smudged with pure excitement, _"We're here!"_

He smells it before he sees it.

The air becomes thick with moisture and salts and a pungent odor he can't quite place having never experienced it beforehand. His eyes notice the way the lands, beige and gritty, meld into rolling blues more vast and sparkling for as far as the eye can see. It's water. _The ocean,_ his mind fills in for him as his mouth slightly rounds in awe. Birds of white sail through the air calling their cries that sink and mix with the crashing of waves. It's like an image ripped right out of a book, grainy and rough yet smooth and beautiful. He never thought he'd see the ocean any time soon. Moreover, he hadn't thought he'd be this taken away by it.

"Isn't it just lovely?" Elizabeth questions quietly, voice nearly being drowned out by the pressure of water just below them.

Instead of agreeing and giving her something more to hold over him—though he's uncertain if she even would since she hadn't the first time—he throws out his own question, "Why are we here?"

He feels her gaze on his cheek and his jaw tightens reflexively. "Remember that subcategory thing from before? There are some goddesses who work solely to maintain the life below water. I want to see if I'm one of them!"

He turns to face her as if a second head just sprouted from her stomach. "How exactly do you expect to figure that out?"

She grins all too sweetly like a cat luring its prey into a false sense of security. He's seen that look before on others and knows it holds no good. "Well you see... that's what I brought _these_ for."

Outstretched in her hand are two things that look no larger than an orb would fit into her palm. Cautiously he takes one studying the bush like quality and questioning the color scheme of mixed blue-green as he twiddles it between thumb and forefinger. "What's this?" He mutters uncertainly.

"They're used for the older goddesses when they go out to see if they're calling is underwater. You have to eat them and then you can breathe down there for a short time. Come on, try it!" She explains with the obvious signs of someone who's only ever heard these things but never actually _seen_ them.

He thinks she's nuts for thinking these mini bushes will do such insane magic, but then his black gaze sees her tossing the object in her mouth with reckless abandon and his nerves twist in a do or die kind of way. He hadn't even had time to question if this was some sort of trick to poison him, seeing as she threw the thing in her mouth like it was rare candy going fast. All he has time to think of as he mimics her is how much faith he seems to be putting in the enemy.

The stuff is dry and bitter on his tongue and horribly rough down his throat. It only takes a second for the white hot clawing and ripping up and down his throat and what feels to be an explosion in his lungs as he mentally imagines them turning themselves inside out to fully manifest for him to take that faith back like a snap.

His mind goes in and out of focus his hearts beating thunderously for all to hear. He doesn't even realize he's screaming, doesn't feel the way his fingers try to dig into the flesh at the sides of his neck until that feeling from earlier drips into his senses. One of the softest things ever he'd called it takes hold of his hand and then they're plunging. The world spins too quickly for him to even understand the difference between up and down. Cold, soggy, _wet_ envelops him. Then sweet, sweet _air_.

Meliodas' body loosens as his muscles unlock, then gradually one eyelid opens followed by the other. Of course his entire vision is practically swallowed up by the pale skin and delicate features of the goddess. Her concern being palpable through her big blue eyes and the downturn of her lips. These only temper him _marginally_ —who's ever concerned for him genuinely, right? His words still bite with the fierceness of Hades, "What the hell was that!? Your way of trying to kill me?"

Her body trembles and she winces as if struck. " _N-no_! I-I said these helped us breathe underwater, so that's what—"

"What are you..." He cuts in but then realizes something odd about her hair. It's weirdly flowy, almost unnaturally so as if some other force is guiding the path of each stand. It's not just her hair either, her dress is billowing around her legs too which are slowly kicking... to keep her in place.

The bigger picture begins to slam into him relentlessly.

Everywhere he looks the world is tinged in shades of blue, the sun's rays from above providing shafts of diluted golden light. He hadn't noticed it before but now he can feel the pressure of water all around him, the currents brushing against his skin, sweeping through his hair and clothes as of it's an everyday occurrence. Though Elizabeth's words had reached him easily somehow not disrupted by the weird presence of water all around. Even though he breathes water— _Is that really how that works_? he tries not to let the idea get to him—scents seem to work differently than they do above water going with the flow of things below as it seems. It's wholly new and something he's not certain he can become used to.

This new world feels so big and never ending, with shapes and formations he's never quite seen silhouetted in the distance. He blinks stunned when he sees a few fish of deep reds and others of gold hurry about a distance a ways. He sucks in a breath and it's _natural_. He's truly under the ocean. Whatever he consumed really worked.

"What...?" He mumbles sloppily his cold edge lost for the moment. His mind is too overrun with disbelief. _How is this possible_?

"It's amazing isn't it? And we can explore for three and a half hours!" Elizabeth exclaims beside him utterly overjoyed, shattering his disbelief induced calm with the elegance of dropping an egg upon the ground.

 _'I'm underwater.'_ The thought tells him in rising alarm. _'I can't swim_.' And then the ridiculously embarrassing flailing begins.

"Meliodas? What's wrong!?"

 _'Why is her hand always there!?'_ He inwardly grouches as she tries to steady him. "I can't swim," he tells her through gritted teeth finding her oddly calm position in the new environment irritating. He's only been in waters deep enough to bathe in. He can't be blamed for flapping around now as if he's falling out of the air.

Elizabeth's eyebrows crease as she tries to hold him tighter. "Your wings help you the most. But you can also just copy me." She's so calm in addressing him, even though he's practically dragging her down inch by inch.

For some reason that makes him take a breath—which still sparks as weird despite how natural it comes in—and take her words seriously. He honestly hadn't realized his wings were still present. He thought for sure they would've dissolved from the loss of concentration from eating that bushy object. They do in fact keep him from sinking if he flaps them just the slightest and the feet kicking helps too. He notices however that Elizabeth seems more graceful in the water than him which makes him draw his hand away when he crosses them over his chest. Of course she would be. Maybe this is her purpose or whatever.

Black eyes give her a sidelong look which she squirms beneath, clearly worried she upset him somehow—though it should be out of fear damn it! "So how do you know if this is what you're supposed to do."

She seems to let out a breath of tension. "Oh, that's easy! I'm supposed to feel like I belong, which I won't know unless we start exploring, so let's go!"

He allows her to take the lead. She efficiently cuts through the water using her arms and legs to pull ahead towards the formations he couldn't quite make out earlier. It's interesting to watch as he tries to mimic her, how fluid she seems in this strange new environment. And how the water seems to enjoy her presence in return by playing with her hair, her feathers, and the ends of her dress. His eyes round in growing mortification at how true that last thought is. His lack of grace and know how certainly doesn't stop him then from speeding to her side and nearly crashing into her. Her jolt of surprised laughter at the mishap doesn't overwhelm his thoughts in the slightest.

 _'Stay by her side from now on. I definitely don't want that to happen again...'_

A twinge of embarrassment threatens to appear on his face, however he's in luck as something grander causes Elizabeth to overlook his display. Her hand goes to his shoulder as her eyes gain a sparkle reminiscent to those atop the water before. "Meliodas, look!" She's pointing excitedly with her other hand behind him but he doesn't even have to turn as whatever she had her eyes on sweeps around the two in a showy flourish.

 _'There are loads of them_ ,' is what he first thinks as the schools of various fish circle on by. And his eyes glue to them just as tightly as Elizabeth's. He can see some are big and fat with deep set frowns, their red scales reflecting the greens and blues of the ocean prettily. Another group are petite and orange, swift in their travels as they head on their way. Long and thin, wide and flowing, purples, blues, yellows, and all sorts of greens these fish are a rainbow of possibilities that he never cared to imagine. But seeing them now as their numbers overwhelm the measly two of he and Elizabeth, he hopes to never forget this.

"Look they're all heading over there!" Elizabeth turns him easily in the water to see the formation that had steadily been gaining detail and color as they'd approached it before taking off towards it herself with elated giggles that vibrate through the currents. Meliodas can only watch for a moment observing the rock face openly. There's all sorts of undersea fauna that like above he wants to run under his fingers and figure out their textures and maybe find by some strange oddity they'd be warm even there in the water. Long slabs of rocks smooth over top become harsh drop offs underneath. Random openings in the side are completely shadowed where the sun's rays cannot reach. All of this combined somehow make homes for the fish they'd seen. That Elizabeth is already exploring...

The thought from earlier surfaces and he's quick to catch up easily spotting wings where they normally would never belong. She's perched on the edge of rock feet dangling over the edge near swaying long green strips of—unknown to him—seaweed. Though her eyes are focused more intently on some strange sky blue tube like arms all squished together and connected to a flat disk under it. It seems pretty gross to him, but Elizabeth finds something of interest with it.

Luckily she tells him why without taking her pouting gaze away from it. "I was following these orange and white fish, but I guess I kind of scared them away. They swam into this thing and..."

"You want to touch it?" He fills in, not looking at her or the fish's hiding place, but instead peering at the swimming fish beyond her in this rock like sanctuary of theirs. "Do your instincts tell you you should or is it plain curiosity?" He adds in a it's not my problem kind of tone while leaning back on his hands.

Elizabeth sighs and he doesn't see her turn away from it either, her gaze becoming fixated on something small beside her. "I'm not sure." After a beat he turns his head to face her and sees she's gazing upwards with a slight curve of her lips though to him it distinctly makes her features sad impossibly enough. "This place is truly amazing. I could see myself coming here to explore over and over, but I don't have the faintest idea of what these fish could use from me."

He watches the way the fish in the background clearly fluttering around like wary occupants eyeing the new neighbors of sorts with disdain as one unexpectedly split off from the group. It's a tiny thing with flowing fins and thin eyes that stand out from its white and red scales. It easily approaches Elizabeth seemingly fascinated with the sway of her hair. Meliodas should warn her of the curious approach, but instead he's more interested in the way she'll react.

The fish delves right into the silver locks and she must somehow feel it because she jumps with a yelping scream that fills his stomach with laughter he doubles over to try and contain. The commotion is enough to scare the fish off and reinforce the onlookers to keep away. It also causes Elizabeth to realize what her startle made her drop.

" _Oh no!"_

The panicked note to her words causes his well of laughter to gradually dry up. His gaze finds Elizabeth focused on something small and softly shimmering plummeting towards what may as well be the abyss below them. The goddess reacts like a spring set free and he watches as she dives forward without caution, her little palm outstretched for whatever she seemed to have lost. He can see her palm sweep up to catch it, can see her fingers curling tight to protect it. But what he sees next happens so fast it stays burned in his memory replaying again and again as time painfully seems to slow down.

Elizabeth moved so fast to capture her fallen object she hadn't realized the seaweed had tangle around a delicate ankle. So when their limit is reached the recoil is swift and unyielding. Her frame is jerked towards the jagged side of the rocky formation with the side of her head taking the brunt of the force.

Meliodas sits there for a beat. Then another as her body goes still hanging from nothing but thick green plants. Another beat and the idea that he should leave her comes to mind. She is a goddess after all. They never agreed to watch out for each other. Another and he recalls the feel of her hand, her helping him with no strings attached, _such a stupid thing to do_ , and his hearts tremble. Another and he sees the unmistakable curls of crimson floating up through the water and he's _moving_.

Hovering by her side Meliodas carefully guides an arm around her waist to hold turn her upright and hold her against him. He doesn't look at her face just yet when she practically falls limp on him, instead he wraps his hand around the seaweed and _yanks_ until it snaps setting her free. He finally turns enough to see the side of her head and his lip curls in a grimace. It's a pretty deep gash above her temple and he's sure being under saltwater isn't doing it any good.

Silently his expression becomes unreadable as he peers at the unconscious features of Elizabeth. "So stupid."

His wings are doing most of the work in keeping them from sinking as she feels like a hundred drenched feathers, more than he can handle with his mediocre swimming skills. He's about to swim them upwards when a dark shadow passes overhead much larger than the fish they've seen thus far. He gets a peculiar sensation coursing over his skin and for a moment he looks to his side. Not a single fish in sight, it may as well be a ghost town for how eerily abandoned it feels. The colors from before warm, vibrant, and inviting, now look bleak as the shadow passes across them.

Meliodas isn't stupid. He knows what must've swam into range at the scent of fresh blood. His hand draws his sword from between him and Elizabeth and he maneuvers around just in time to see something sleek and swift consuming the distance between them in a blink, it's mouth wide with razor sharp teeth on display. Meliodas smirks just as cutting in challenge.

He wishes it weren't so easy.

All it takes is a well timed—okay, a _clumsily_ timed—spin out of the way and his sword cuts upwards tearing effortlessly through vertebra, membranes, and organs. Blood spreads everywhere and Meliodas is sure he's screwing this environment over way more than before, but it's not his fault. It's the girl in his arm's mess he's trying to clean up.

So much for belonging.

A snort comes to him except... It burns. _Horribly_. His stomach drops faster than any plummet to the earth could. The sensation of ripping and tearing and turning inside out doesn't happen like before. He just feels a tingle that shoots to his skull and makes him numb. And he just knows that he's going to drown if he doesn't swim damn it.

 _'Shit! How did time fly right from under us!?'_

His vision which he hadn't realized had acclimated to the ocean now burns and wavers with the thirst in his lungs. He's panicking, he realizes, as he forces his wings to thrust, as he holds Elizabeth who'd already been hurt and hadn't had a chance to hold her breath... He can't see where he's going. He only knows there's a shaky light he should go towards. Only knows the screaming of his lungs. Meliodas pushes harder and harder as his hold becomes weaker and his hearing fills with the rush of his hearts. He's starting to slow as the world becomes a murky grey. ' _Cold, it's so cold, but... Elizabeth... she's...'_

An explosion through the surface throws them into much needed air. It's so sudden he actually begins to cough in his greed to gulp it down. He feels shuddering in his arms and he's relieved to discover Elizabeth coughing as well. Patting her back as he regains his senses sluggishly he feels a dull throb in his skull probably from the drastic changes he's had to face in such a short time.

"M-Meliodas?" He nearly drops her, he hadn't been expecting her to come to so soon. But when he pulls back enough she's indeed awake, though her eyes are worn matching the dry weary quality of her voice. "Muh head hurts... Wuh happened?"

She's slurring. Not exactly good. "You hit your head." He deadpans while peering at the still fresh cut. He takes a breath of real air then notes the late afternoon sun. "You should probably go home and get healed or something." They're both soaked to the bone looking worse than drenched cats as he keeps them both tethered in the air for the time being.

Elizabeth seems to think about this for longer than necessary. Then her wings unexpectedly flare out as if her motor skills are on the fritz. "'kay. Thanks for comin' with me tuday." She hugs him drunken like with one fist curled tightly at his back and the other splayed outward for him to feel each dainty digit. He's sure she smeared blood on his neck when she pulls back. "See ya in a few days!" Without another word she flies upwards on her own and he watches to make sure she doesn't fall out of the sky abruptly. Once alone his lips curl in disgust. A hug? What the hell was that for? Shaking the feeling off he starts to fly in the direct in which he came trying to figure out how it is he'll hide the fact that he smells distinctly like saltwater and he lost a sword—again. The sword is an easy one, he loses those on random explorations in the Underworld all the time. The odd scent though might be harder, seeing as they don't have large bodies of water.

"If push comes to shove I could say I was drenched in dragon piss and the servants might be ignorant enough to buy it..."

He grins thinly as the world blurs beneath him satisfied with idea. It might just work _and_ gain him a ticket to a relaxing bath to cap of his escapades with the goddess. Elizabeth... His time with the goddess hadn't been too bad, surprisingly. A moment later, Meliodas is shocked he has to tell himself not to get used to it.


	3. Chapter 3

Meliodas stomps agitatedly into the forest ahead of him. The humid air clings to his exposed skin not necessarily a bother seeing as the Underworld is arid most often than not, but with the girl following jovially behind him, commenting on this and that with that sweet voice of hers that hooks right under his skin, he can see why others let the heat press on their nerves.

"Meliodas! Look at these flowers! Aren't they the prettiest shade of yellow you've ever seen?"

"Meliodas, these fruits smell so delicious! Want to try one?"

His eyebrow twitches as he stops under the shade of a tree. If she gets herself poisoned, he won't be at fault will he? His hand falls to his sword strapped to his right hip, gingerly running over the hilt. The whole point of them coming into the forest was so that she could attempt to see if she had any fight in her. Instead she's distracted by every soft flare of life she sees. A crunching of grass edging closer towards him lifts his face in her approach. Thin limbs, short bangs allowing round ceruleans to stand stark against pale skin, the four wings sprouting from her back paint her in as harmless as the berries she cups between her palms.

Her smile is bright and wide, splitting her face, as she rushes to him. He would normally gaze at the shape of it and wonder how such an expression can truly exist and around him specifically, but his jet black eyes are drawn to what creeps up behind her, what she fails to even sense. What he failed to even notice until she drew near.

A wolf like breast straight from the most vicious of night terrors. He'd know. They come directly from the Underworld. The creature clearly towers over Elizabeth's unsuspecting figure, it's maw slobbering with rows of jagged teeth that look desperate to sink into her unblemished flesh. A choking wind blows as he stares with wide eyes frozen for seconds, minutes, an eternity that flashes by and twists his stomach cruelly. The rolling of fur over a hide tougher than his little fists could ever hope to dent catches his eyes. Silver locks sweep across a face of pure sunshine. The moment of eternity rushes back to him like a kick to the lungs. The wolf like creature grinds out a sound that cuts into his ears, hunching down. No more time.

Before the look of terror can even rise to her face, Meliodas darts forward, pressing a hand firmly on her back so that she's hurtled even further behind him. His hearts race as the beast howls akin to mockery, seeing his act as fruitless; they'll both be an afternoon snack in its eyes before long. Face scrunching into grim rebellion, Meliodas unsheathes his sword with a roar. _Not if he can do anything about it._

Spinning out of powerful jaw snaps, Meliodas takes his blade to the beast's back, striking swiftly before falling unceremoniously to the forest floor. His muscles tremble as he attempts to scramble back, his breathing escalating when he sees it watching him with intent crimson hues. Not a drop of blood is displaced. His sword did nothing.

Huffing up some air, Meliodas raises his right hand scrambling to draw out his power when he notices something crawling across the ground. The forest once lit and lively is now being swallowed by a perpetual sense of darkness. A tremble slides down his spine as his studies take their time to slam into his brain now on the creature's abilities. It's definitely something from a night terror gaining its strength with the lack of light. Meliodas couldn't scratch it before, how can he now as darkness pulls them into a black vortex?

Growling fiercely Meliodas pulls his power to his palm, thrusting a ball of black flames at the wolf like being just as it lunges. Though only smoke bursts into the air at contact. Then agony tearing hotter than broken limbs strikes his torso as he falls back quick enough to avoid being severed.

A shriek not his own follows reminding him of Elizabeth. _Elizabeth..._ His eyes blearily open to see her face every few seconds in a flash of golden. She's trying to conjure her power into her palms, desperate to help him. Tears are present, tracking her cheeks and leaping off her chin as she yowls for him to be okay, _to please be okay._

He almost laughs. Her worried for him, when she's about to get eaten? The words snap him to the present not unlike a stab to his hearts. The wolf is indeed stalking her and seconds from pouncing. The prince doesn't waste a moment longer, allowing the drum of his darkness to flood his limbs as he surges up. Feet dash with the drive of broken cries and twinkling tears, a girl linked to him whether he wants her to be or not.

Again he roars as he springs, this time sliding his blade quickly over crimson eyes seeking to blind. And it works. Near black fur ripples in its agony as it stumbles away with howls. The sound fills Meliodas up with relief as he turns to face Elizabeth who's still sniffling, her teeth gritted as she tries again and again to pull forth her magic in some way other than balls that fade shortly after. The distress oozing off her makes him queasy to bear witness to. Did she not see the beast fall away? Why is she still so twisted with panic? A hand bloody and dirtied hesitates, ready to land on her shoulder to snap her out of it, when the hairs on his skin stand so sharply on end he fails to choke back a gasp.

Slowly he rotates to see the creature right before him, eyes useless, but nose as sharp as ever. He and Elizabeth are backed to a tree. His flames were useless as was his sword. There's no way he can... Meliodas eyes burn in his glare, his fists quaking they're curled so tight. Damn it, if he's going to die, he's not going to face it as a coward. Little whimpers from behind him echo louder than his hearts in his ears. _Elizabeth!_ She's going to have to watch before facing it herself. But then would it be better if she were to go first and then he after, after seeing? Pain twists his chest until he physically wants to collapse to his knees. Neither can be stomached, but what else can he do!?

He hears more than sees the wolf-creature take a step forward. Then a keen shout blares from behind him and the world explodes in golden white. The demon is stiff to the core staring at the crackling magic that encircles he and Elizabeth, sucking in awed breaths at the sheer strength of it. He doesn't even give the creature that's thrown back bloodied and mangled by it a second thought. Meliodas is more drawn into turning to face the girl still yelling at his back. Her hair billows with power, her eyes blaze with it as she stares unseeingly above. Elizabeth looks overcharged with magic as it bleeds from her core. The sudden realization of this snaps him from his trance as he shouts alarmed. She burns out at the same moment, her eyes fluttering woozily before she sways. Her eyes slip closed. She falls without a breath. Meliodas captures the shorter easily, arms wrapped behind her back as she leans slack against his bloody chest.

His eyes stay on the crown of her head, feeling his insides shake relentlessly. Golden rays tentatively stretch towards the forest ground again, shedding light on a alien thoughts that float to the surface. _'She saved me? Why did she bother? Why did I?'_

* * *

They'd gone over this in his lesson just a few days prior. _It wasn't that overwhelming_ , the prince tells himself as he sits against the bark of a tree feeling it snag against his dark tunic then attempt to scratch at his skin through it afterwards. His eyes focus lazily on Elizabeth from a distance, her figure practically straining with concentration. His eyes slide over her stiff palms pointed away from her chest, her two sets of wings for once drawn tight instead of left to flutter with her emotions and he can't help but think that she looks as if a cloud has come to hang over her despite the sun shining a perfect spotlight over her being. The petite girl is trying to call forth her magic like she had before albeit in a far less life threatening degree. From the pout that overtakes her mouth and furrows her brows he can easily guess that things aren't going well for her.

 _"Meliodas, I have to be pushed for my potential to emerge! Holding out my hands and calling 'Ark!' won't help me."_ Her voice, small yet so very forceful when she's determined, echoes in his mind as he watches golden swirl around her hands then fizzle out like doused matches once more. " _Please spar with me?"_ She'd gone on as if that was the next logical course of action.

His lip curls in distaste. "As if the little goddess actually has a fighting bone in her body." He mutters in a dark tone more than a little agitated as an image appears in his mind insistent, intent on replaying the moment her small frame burned bright like a dying star as she shrieked to the heavens, then the way she'd gone out in a blink after, limp in his arms, so close to death.

He quivers forcefully shaking the image as he scowls down at the earth and the tangle of grass atop it. "Stupid." He spits the word low, angry while closing his eyes. "So damn stupid."

Thus his reasoning for trying to do a bit of his own training. His tutor did say they'd need to hone their senses with practice. He won't let himself think his efforts has anything to do with how that creature snuck up on them effortlessly. This has nothing to do with _her._

Meliodas grounds himself as a start, taking in the slight breeze to his skin, the hints of wood, grass, a light graze of floral and just something _else_ that's simply _Elizabeth._ Everything is clear in his mind, from the sounds of the forest to the waves of energy all around. With everything in mind, he begins to open up the barricade inside of himself, allowing his power to flood out as he actively _seeks_.

And just like before the results are instant.

The insects skittering through the grass, up the trees, in the bushes, on the leaves, sound like an army rampaging across his eardrums. The air is now particles brushing along his skin, he can feel it like a pressure that's almost too heavy to suck down his lungs let alone exist around him. Meliodas grunts as he curls in on himself clamping his hands over his ears as if that'll help in anyway. But that doesn't stop the way his own hearts pulse threatening to deafen him or the way the smells mix and swell all jumbled so that he'd have no way of picking one out from another. They'd have no issue with forcing the contents from his stomach which they're very likely to do as he moans in agony, face twisting in an act of defiance.

" _Meliodas! Meliodas! What's wrong!?"_ Elizabeth's simple shout of concern sounds almost shrill in his ears.

"Too m-much," he mummers woozy as everything just keeps coming _in_. The little energies that were once blips all around him now sear in his skull making his head throb to the beat of massive sledge hammers. "T-too mu..."

"Meliodas, _please,"_ Elizabeth snivels in front of him now though she sounds far away like she's on the other side of the castle desperately trying to reach him.

His hands still press tightly to his ears trying to push everything away. His skin feels so tight, sweat dotting it profusely. He's doing something wrong. Or he's right, but taking on way too much. _Too much..._

 _"_ M-Meliodas?" Little fingers cool to the touch land on his cheeks. It's such a wonderful shock against his fevered flesh a startled breath scrapes down his throat to his pained lungs, the jolt slamming the barrier to his power shut leaving him to fall limp at the abrupt loss of tension.

A breath rushes outwards in a squeak not his own as suddenly the job of holding him up falls on the younger of the two. "Meliodas? What happened? Are you okay?" Thin arms wrap around his torso as he violently shakes from the... _What_? The shock? The dulling of sensations? His mind twirls and whirls with dizziness unable to really provide an answer for him. And when he opens his eyes realizing his head is tucked against Elizabeth's shoulder, the colors seem to mix like a wet paintbrush running them all together so he just closes his eyes and sinks against the seemingly only steady thing around.

"Practicing." He ends up answering Elizabeth after a heavy breath. It's surprising how raspy his voice sounds as if he scorched his throat somehow. And did his tongue always feel so heavy and foreign? Well good thing she's close enough to hear anyway. "'m fine."

Those dainty fingers of hers begin to play in the back of his hair, and _wow_. Okay. Maybe she's got a knack for soothing the worst of splitting heads? "I'm so happy you're okay, Meliodas. So happy..."

His chest tingles pleasantly as he tries to fight back a drowsy yawn. He can hear her soft breath, feel it sweeping against the side of his head. Her heart thuds steadily against his cheek. All of this is pleasant. Far from overwhelming. Before he even notices it, her fingers have put him to sleep.

He hadn't even gotten to question himself on why he didn't try and fight off her help.

~.~.~

"This is all I'm good for." A light morose tone fills his ears soft as a breeze over his head. Meliodas' eyes slowly open to see muted blues stark silvers, then pale hands cup over his head. A burning glow sparks almost electric in between them and then they peel apart allowing hundreds of tiny butterflies made of pure light to flutter away. Glowing dust dances in the air with each flap of their wings making them dazzle beautifully through the night air.

Meliodas' face remains blank through it all, not taken in by the wonder in the slightest. Instead his eyes shift upwards to see Elizabeth's face upside down lit up in the work of her magic. A tiny sad smile lifts her face a bit and he finds this far more interesting than luminescent butterflies any day. He blinks a bit while letting his mind try and rework what happened before he apparently drifted off, focusing on the ruffles in her billowing sleeves, the intricate curls of the necklace she wears, and the nice cushion beneath his head... _Is his head actually pillowed in her lap!?_

Meliodas jerks up, smacking his head into her hands that had been lowering from their raised positions.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't notice—"

He cuts her words off already seeing the torrent that wishes to flood past her lips from the guilty crease of her eyebrows. "What are you still doing here?" He lifts a blond brow pointedly.

Elizabeth draws up tight, her lips pressing together nervously as her eyes round. Then her shoulders sag, her blue eyes falling from his. "I couldn't leave you out here alone..."

His lips curl as he scoffs. It's the best way he can hide the tingle in his chest. "Don't be an idiot. So what? You sat here all day watching me sleep while something could easily have attacked you like before?"

"You didn't leave me." Her eyes meet his firmly even if her words are soft, her tone grateful maybe even fond.

That silences him swiftly, forcing any words he'd planned back down his throat. Now he looks away cursing these strange occurrences. Elizabeth is supposed to be the key to finding out all about goddesses. That was the only reason he didn't kill her that day. Fat load of use she's turning out to be. What's stopping him from unsheathing his sword, driving it through her ribs, and cutting his losses? The wild urge spikes up crackling beneath his skin as his hands start to twitch, his mind already laying out the image of the blood that would spill freely just like—

Smooth delicate palms rest over his arm quelling his ire effortlessly. "If you're worried... I did go and find food! So I didn't... I didn't stay the whole time." She ventures hopeful squeezing her fingers lightly around his arm.

Meliodas lifts his head and eyes the easy way Elizabeth grins at him answering his unspoken question: _She wants to be around him._ He pulls from out of her hold then shakes his head of the insane idea. "Whatever. Don't you need to get back to your realm? If you hadn't noticed it's well into evening."

A heavy exhale of breath sounding so bogged down even Meliodas feels weary just hearing it. "You're right. I guess I'll be seeing you soon then?" She always sounds uncertain at these partings as if he'll disappear into the shadows and never emerge again.

Maybe one day he will.

Instead he simply nods in agreement. He hears wings ruffle then a few strong beats as wind stirs up a few stray leaves around him. His eyes find her figure in the air turned towards him. She waves when she catches his gaze then turns towards the sky to become nothing but wings of pure white and lengthy silvery locks. And in the next moment she bursts into golden specks across the sky akin to the glittering butterflies he'd woken up to.

The sight reverberates through Meliodas so soundly his brows pinch while his mind may as well be dead weight for all the explanation it provides. He's never seen such a thing. That's never happened at their partings. "What happened to her?" His voice is urgent. His onyx eyes beginning to gleam with something wild and lethal. His stomach flips horribly with the beginnings of worry—

When abruptly his eyes spring open, his body pushing up into a seated position. His breathing is too heavy in his ears, the forest to quiet around him. His eyes search around rapidly, running over every bush, every tree, every blade of grass in the swell of night surrounding him. He is alone. _Why_ is he alone? Wasn't Elizabeth just with him? The queasy drop of his stomach has him up on his feet hands clenching and releasing restlessly as he starts to circle around the area more desperate for some type of explanation.

That was a dream wasn't it? He did just wake up after all and he wouldn't just go back to sleep if he were heading to the Underworld. His boots pause in their trek, moonlight just peering through the leaves overhead to dust across the ground his eyes are focused intently upon. "So she did leave me." He states to no one in particular, voice low and practically flat. "What kind of shit was that dream feeding me? She actually wanted to be around me? Utter nonsense if I ever heard it."

The young prince doesn't know what goes through him now. The weight against his chest and the tension throughout his limbs are things he could do without. Since he doesn't see any way of dislodging the afflictions just yet, Meliodas intends to head back just like in his dream. Except a particular sparkle catches the corner of his eye turning his head to it.

When he realizes what it is he's looking at he almost wishes the drop of his stomach from before would return, because what hits him now is that so much worse. Meliodas falls to one knee picking up the intricate necklace Elizabeth never seems to be without with trembling hands. His insides roll, they twist into contortions he's not sure he'll ever be without. The beat of his hearts becomes frantic, painful to withstand. The drag of his breaths too much to bear. She didn't just leave. The dried blood on the edge of the chain says she was taken, stolen, _ripped_ from his possession.

 _Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dumpba-dumpba-dump—_

He can't hear anything but the tempo of his rage in his ears, can't see anything but the weird tilt of her lips, the soft glint in her eyes. He has to find her. A pulse of something, strong, powerful, _feral_ goes through him. He _must_ find her. The barricade to his power explodes in a sudden surge, his forehead stinging as his darkness causes the mark there to spread wildly. His eyes hollow of mercy. His expression hardens with malice. The demon's senses are whetted, absorbing any and everything. But this time they filter out. This time they only want one, no, two things.

Elizabeth, and the blood of those who took her.

Elizabeth's scent is easy to pick up on, her blood making it ripe and simple to trail. Thoughts are useless, thick and cluttered chains holding him back. Meliodas relinquishes them without a thought as he pockets her trinket, his small frame rattling when he takes in the air once more. Then the power pulsing and crackling beneath his skin hurtles his body forward in a sprint that splits the trees before him, rips the grass from their roots, and kicks up dust in plumes. The air rumbles with his strength cracks with his power. If he weren't so driven by his intent, he would have been fascinated by the blend of the world, been proud of the depths of his power knowing that _this_ was only the beginning.

But all that goes through him as he covers what would usually take hours in a matter of moments is how fresh Elizabeth's trail now smells. _She's close._ They may have had hours on him judging by the dried blood on her necklace, but with how fast he's dashing his way out of the forest he'll be able to catch up or better yet find their resting place. Taking leaping bounds off of the trunks of various trees to cut through the air and dramatically increase his speed, Meliodas considers his prey. Giants are less likely the culprits as there would have been far more damage left behind where she was taken. Fairies would have nothing to do with stealing a goddess especially since they like to stick to their on forest from what he knows. Demons… well they would have killed her on the spot he's certain. So humans. Humans are the only bastards who could've done this.

Something flares in his eyes illuminated in the silvery light of the moon as he emerges from the forest. His face is pale, harsh, so far from childlike as the wind tousles the blond locks across his visage. Feet guiding him on the ground, Meliodas can see it just further in the distance. A small village of stone houses, flames rest in the center of what must be the square. His senses are stretched like the blanket of night across the sky brushing against every spark of life that dots it. Elizabeth glows like the moon, cool and magnetic waiting for him to find her to reach her, to steal her back. She's there in that village. _She's there._

Meliodas doesn't notice when he closes the leagues of space to his destination. Suddenly the stony buildings reaching just a bit more than double his height are surrounding him, the fire throwing splashes of orange and yellows on them, the laughter of humans abruptly amplifying nearly drowning out the gasping cries of Elizabeth. His vision has been at its peak giving him every detail without fail. Ropes encircling her wrists and ankles cutting her skin, smears of brown dirt, trails of crimson, flowerings of reddish, purple, and blue are all fed into his visual, slowing down his breathing as everything slows. Someone throws a rock right against her chest, bruising and cutting her frail figure further as she flinches and cries out. The stone lands amongst a collection of others like it meant to harm.

The humans around her laugh as if their game of tormenting the goddess is uplifting. They drink to her screams, scoff as her whimpers. Each tear that tracks her round cheeks feeds something inside of them. They're sick monsters. And the irony is not lost on him. He is a demon, more vile than them all. He won't hesitate to show them.

The ring of metal sliding out of his sheath speeds his surroundings immensely. The first of his targets notices, turning with wide pupils. Before he can work up a shout Meliodas darts towards him, his body a blur through the air, a sharp twist, then slight resistance as Meliodas cuts through the meat of his gut leaving the body to fall in a heap of blood and innards on the ground.

The shrieks start not a moment later.

"It's a demon!"

"Where are the Holy Knights!?"

"Secure the goddess before he gets her! She's our catch!"

A stampede of panicked bodies begin their attempts to flee, but Meliodas descends upon them with death in his eyes. A dark shadow etched across his gaze makes the malevolence present a spine chilling image to see before he strikes. Necks are slit, limbs are severed, his body moves with a grace through the spray of blood he's never before experienced. His goal is clear as he stabs through the chest of one woman piercing her heart, unblinking as she coughs crimson across his face. His desire unwavering as bodies drop faster than rain from the sky.

Magic arcs through the air in yellows and greens, the Holy Knights arriving on the scene to save the corpses of their village. Boots stained in blood nimbly guide him out of the way, twisting his body to face his opponents as something in his face twitches furious. The Holy Knights pretentious in their stance lift their swords and call out their commands again and again. Magic crackles in the dirt at his feet repeatedly as he hops back feeling a bubbling build inside of him. Meliodas fists his sword tighter, skin pinching over his knuckles as the bubbling bursts in the form of a snarl when the surges of magic fly right at him. _"_ _Full Counter!"_

His ears ring with the chime that resounds around the area as their magic connects with his sword. His frame rattles for a moment with the force feeling the power vibrate right down to his bones before it rebounds, heading straight back at the casters. He only tilts his head briefly at the occurrence, relishing in the shrill screams they let out as an explosion overtakes them, before spinning around to charge in the direction he can sense Elizabeth. Those two Holy Knights are taken care of, but there's still another left in the way of her.

He sees the small building out of the way of the village now filled with the remains of its people. It's such a simple structure made of wood and metal. A breeze could take it down. He goes to use his fist on the door instead, feeling his hearts thrum at the idea of being _so close_. His fist smashes into something surrounding the little building, illuminating the barrier in a pale kind of blue as his bones quake for a moment, smarting viciously. He studies the circular barrier for a moment before going at it again, then again, and _again_ , until his fists are bruised, his skin profusely bleeding.

A slow mirthful laugh begins to sound somewhere behind him, halting his repeated attacks gradually. "You won't be able to get through my _Evermore Cylinder_. So I'd stop wasting my time if I were you demon."

Meliodas slowly turns to face the gruff tone letting his piercing gaze lay heavily on the lean male in armor. The Holy Knight's sword is pointed vertical subtly lined with pale blue just like the barrier. If Meliodas were to guess, the man is smart enough to have one around himself as well. The idea makes his hands tremble at his sides, his young voice resembling ice when he demands, "Give her back to me this instant."

The amber gaze that falls on him is patronizing a mistake Meliodas will make the man pay for dearly in due time. "We caught that princess fair and square. She's ours to do whatever we want with. You demons can't just swoop in and leach off our hard work. Besides, you massacred my entire village. I'm going to—"

The blood pounding at his temples muffle the man's words and send his body speeding in the Holy Knight's direction with his sword drawn, pulled back, and ready. He doesn't give a damn about a barrier being in the way. Elizabeth is too close for him to have a lick of patience to listen to the man drone on. But then a rustle at the bushes beside the Holy Knight decides to impede on his plans, at least for the moment, when a little girl springs in his way screaming for him not to attack her daddy.

 _"_ _Cecilia! Out of the way this instant!"_

The little blond girl is adamant, with her arms spread and her little sniffles loud for Meliodas to stop and hear. "P-please! My daddy hasn't hurt anybody!"

Meliodas looks her dead in the eye, next move clear as his words come out truly heartless like the swift strike of a blade. "You want sympathy? _Tough shit._ Your father made his bed. It's time for him to lie in it."

The clean slide of the head off the Holy Knight's body goes exactly as he predicts. The man's attachment to his daughter broke his concentration thus rendering the barrier doesn't bat an eye when Cecilia runs to her father's side, a mess of tears and harsh sobs. He's completely focused on the shack Elizabeth is held in, the door now unbarred before him.

For a moment, he just stands there as a breeze dances on by tousling his hair... and pushing the wooden door open with an eerie squeak. The light from outside penetrates the darkness in a long reaching rectangle casting Elizabeth's quivering bound form in perfect view as her final captor clutches her tight.

The mere human practically smothers her beneath his hand, the other pressing a dagger to her throat as an act of desperation. "D-d-don't come any c-closer or she's—"

A wet crunch interrupts his speech. Meliodas never takes his eyes away from Elizabeth's overflowing blues as he lowers his left arm that he'd used to throw his sword, the tip now lodged into the neck of the human whose body now plummets to the ground. "Dead, right?" Meliodas finishes finally dragging his eyes away from hers.

His shoulders slump. He found her. His powers sink into his chest leaving him almost jittery from the loss and he nearly falters in his stance. _She's safe._

 _"_ M-Meliodas?" The broken murmur so damn wrought with hope makes him terribly uncomfortable. Did he really just slaughter an entire village for her?

The demon quickly walks forward and snags the fallen dagger then kneels in front of Elizabeth to carefully begin undoing her bonds. Best not to think about it.

But when the final ropes come free she falls to the ground and throws herself at him as if her life depends on it. " _Thank you! T-thank you! I d-didn't think you'd come_!"

The little hiccuped cries does a weird thing to his chest and the awkward placement of his hands at his sides goes into a smooth transition beneath her wings. "Don't you need to return to your realm?" He tells her calmly ignoring her admission. "You're hurt." He ends quickly not wanting to go any further on how he feels about that. No need for any more overwhelming outbursts of power...

Her head beside his shakes insistently ticking his neck with the tangles of her hair. "No! Please!" She begs near hysteric and it alarms him for a moment until she backtracks quickly, "I mean, can I stay with you? Just tonight! I'll be fine, I promise!"

It only takes a moment for him to decide, his mind going back to his dream. "Fine. But not here." He stands then helps her up as she nods eagerly in agreement. Elizabeth sticks to his side tighter than glue as they step out of the shack, presumably hiding from the gruesome massacre laid out in plain sight. She's the one to take to the air first and he's shocked by how quickly he's able to follow her, his powers reacting more readily to his command. A lot has surprised him this evening though he hasn't really had a moment to really think much on it.

The strange dream, the surge of his magic and being completely driven by it, that magic attack he'd called out as if by instinct... and Elizabeth's status. So much to think about, but really no time for him to delve deeply into. He simply wants to find a place to rest and call it a day.

They drift through the air swiftly, passing valleys, rocky terrain, and patches of trees. It's just when he spies a reaching mountain with water gushing of its side into a massive river that he decides to turn to Elizabeth to find where she wants to stop for the night.

His eyes land on empty air.

Meliodas' eyes swivel around to see where she could've gone, his way of not trying to panic. There's no need to panic just yet as she could be just—

Tumbling out of the sky right towards the waterfall.

" _Damn it!_ What is with her? Is she a goddamn danger magnet or _what_!?" He gives a strong beat of his wings and gasps at the force of the wind that slams into him. The power at his fingertips is still something to get used to. He can easily see her unconscious figure now just a few inches ahead of him and tucks in his wings to let gravity do the rest.

His arms hook around her waist, holding her close as he smirks. That wasn't too hard. He'd seen plenty of eagles swoop down and swipe their prey with ease.

Something he hadn't been paying attention to before begins to fill his ears with a roar. Startled obsidian eyes look up to see the furious rush of waters dead ahead of where his dive is guiding him. ' _Damn! So I don't know everything.'_ Quickly trying to spread his wings in an attempt to swoop upwards he only manages to straighten them up just as they plow into the waterfall.

Ice then white hot agony. That's what he'd expected to feel the moment they went through then hit the side of the mountain. The icy chill of the water does take hold, but instead they tumble through the air into some kind of hidden opening beyond the water. With what last bit of control he has he makes sure Elizabeth is on top of him so that when they hit the ground—

 _There's_ that pinch of agony.

He lies there for a full minute, back screaming for mercy, head spinning in chaotic circuits while Elizabeth lies there simply, passed out from injuries or the shock of it all. After a few sharp breaths his fingers brush the ground under him finding it smooth with lines cut into it: Tiled. And besides the rush of water from the waterfall he can detect the steady trickle of water coming from behind him as well. Putting those thoughts away for some other time, Meliodas thinks of what he should do about the goddess on his chest.

First things first, he rolls her onto her side off of him so that he can sit up. He glares down at her then through the thin light able to penetrate the waterfall. It's clear she's shivering and the cuts she received aren't helping her case. His jaw tenses before he sighs. "What's the point of staying with me when you could've gone home and gotten the help you need." She'd seemed so panicked before. But why? She's a princess apparently. And if he knows anything about being royalty it gives plenty of perks.

He shakes his head then wrinkles his nose at the constant drip of water down his skin, his bangs now being a heavy annoyance in front of his face. Making a fire would be much better time spent than asking useless questions. Meliodas rises then holds out his hand palm face up. A few moments of concentration and a tiny spark of flames grows to fill his palm in deep curls of violet and purple. He feels much warmer already connected to his flames, but still there's Elizabeth whom his eyes flick down to shivering upon the ground. His jaw sets as he turns away. He'll find some wood or something and get a fire started for her.

Several paces forward with nothing encountered so far. Besides the sounds of water it's unnervingly quiet. The light from his flames is all he has to guide him. And all he's noticed is that his guess about the floor was indeed correct. Until it suddenly isn't when the tiles cut off and a square width trail of water runs towards where he and Elizabeth entered. His hand sweeps over a bit trying to figure out where it could be coming from but it's much deeper in the darkened area and not worth investigating just yet. "Odd..." He mutters under his breath before stepping over the flow and continuing on.

It only takes a few more steps for his flames to begin reflecting on more than the contours of his face. He stops dead for a moment utterly flabbergasted at the high reaching shelves of books that spread out before him. "Some kind of library in a place like this? But wouldn't the books get wet somehow?" His curiosity gets the better of him as he grabs a rather heavy volume from the shelf. Working it open with one hand takes a bit of balance, but, miraculously, the pages are dry.

A spark goes off in the back of his mind causing him to grin. "I could use this to help Elizabeth." The grin wanes when he truly goes over his plan. It won't work. Not with his flames. His tutor once demonstrated just how insatiable they are when they rapidly consumed an entire stack of wood in a matter of moments only to be left perched on the stone floor idle until they too began to gradually eat through that—that is until the man put the flames out himself.

Meliodas will have to make fire another way.

" _Fantastic_." he hisses through his teeth while slamming the book back in place, the thud echoing keenly, with the force making the entire shelf shudder. His sudden bout of anger has nothing to do with the twisted feeling in his stomach he has about Elizabeth. He's simply pissed at the world for daring to stand in his way again. That's all. The flames in his palm sizzle and spike high in the air when his fingers curl halting his forward stomp briefly at the sudden surge. They lick the roof and blow light in all directions giving Meliodas a moment to see the rows of tables and chairs not too far ahead. He relaxes his fingers and the flames settle down.

The wicked grin has returned to his lips. "Wood. _Perfect_."

Dousing his flames he snags a chair quickly. Knowing his way now, he makes it back to Elizabeth without too much incident. But upon seeing her... His hearts stutter painfully at the sight. She's getting worse. The wood of the chair becomes splinters on the ground gathered up swiftly afterwards in a pile. He stares at it with sharp eyes running his hand beneath the tattered sleeve along Elizabeth's arm. It's like snow to the touch matching her complexion and it makes breathing a harsh endeavor when worry is stuffed tight in his chest.

"I just need a spark damn it." He curses and hates how weak he sounds.

Elizabeth moans something unintelligible and he runs shaky fingers through silk hair hoping to calm—him or her he's not sure. "It'll be fine, foolish goddess. You'll be able to go on and on about your next favorite thing in no time." He tells her in the end anyway.

His eyes speed around hoping for an idea. _'A spark, a spark... Where can I get a—'_ His eyes stop on the stone beneath them. "Of course." He's seen swords sharpened plenty of times to know that sparks fly during. Not wasting anymore time he drives his still mending fist into the ground feeling satisfied when chunks of tile break apart, slightly wincing when his skin bursts open once more. He picks up one and reaches for the dagger in his belt he'd taken. Steadily he strikes the two together until after several tense moments a miniscule orb of yellow-orange flies into the pile of wood. Gradually flames grow and Meliodas makes sure to poke and prod it with a piece of wood until he's certain it won't go out. He only relaxes when he has Elizabeth as close to the flames as he can safely manage with her head placed in his lap.

He looks down at her, noting the change in her breathing already and scoffs at himself. It's so ridiculous the lengths at which he's gone to for her. He only cares about himself, doing things for himself, and always getting things out of whatever deals he makes. What's in it for him, right? But seeing the bruises on her skin, the cuts on her flesh just sends that all out the window. Meliodas runs calloused fingers through drying hair as his eyes peer into the flames. Or maybe not... Elizabeth has made him stronger. That wild display of power was an absolute thrill. He probably wouldn't have tapped into such power for a long while if it weren't for her. And it's only going to get better with more training.

"Maybe having a princess around won't be so bad." He blinks then forces his eyes down at her. A princess... They never did share their statuses. It hadn't been important. But if she is the princess of the goddesses then she's the daughter of the slaughtered goddess in that painting, right? No way could that goddess that looked just as overwhelming as his father _not_ be anyone but a leader of people.

His eyebrows bunch together but he can't seem to piece together anymore facts on Elizabeth. Instead he reaches into his pocket and pulls out her necklace. Carefully he wipes off the blood then studies the shine of metal, the intricate swirls, and finally the goddess rune in the center. His hand sweeps her hair to the side then he works the necklace back into its rightful place. Meliodas lets out a breath then slowly moves her head to the ground. He lies down beside her cautious of her wings. He'll just have to stick with Elizabeth to find the answers he wants.

As he drifts off, the idea oddly doesn't sound too horrible.

* * *

Meliodas pushes himself up and stomps over to Elizabeth who gapes up at him with wide startled eyes. His abruptness throws her on edge. Her incompetence throws him over it. A sturdy digit presses forward right against her ribs as he peers into her wide cerulean eyes. He's more than done with her. She's pulled him into more reckless instances than he's been in on his own. And he hasn't gained a thing out of it. Not. One.

Pressing harder on cloth covered skin his voice scratches just a bit from the angry snarl he tries to achieve. _"Do you feel your power there!?"_

Her thin brows furrow as she blinks, not the least bit intimidated by his crowding of her space. Still as he snaps his hand back she nods and cups her hands for him to see. Then he watches as a look of concentration sweeps across her face for several moments before the disgustingly warm energy takes shape in a wispy ball in her palms.

Not giving her a moment to speak he demands coolly, "Do you really not know what it's for?" Meliodas leans over her a bit once more. "What do you _want_ to do?"

Elizabeth's eyes look far away, straight through him, as her hands slip down, her power fading away. He waits and waits some more as she continues to gaze with more uncertainty than a bridge on its last thread. It makes his insides wriggle unpleasantly forcing him to turn away with a scoff. Of course she wouldn't answer.

Meliodas turns and begins to stride towards an empty table in the corner of the abandoned library, intent on letting the force of the waterfall in the background wash out her presence, when her voice comes out behind him more timid and shaken than ever before.

"I don't want to be a disappointment."

His breath snags as he whirls, but she is no longer looking at him. Her head is bowed, the blue in her eyes murky and seemingly lost. The boy studies her slumped posture standing stiff yet feeling as if the world is shaking below his feet. ' _A simple question can tear her down that easily? Are goddesses really that fragile?'_ A quick puff of air to his lungs as he steadies. ' _No. Just Elizabeth.'_ The little prince is truly starting to grasp this.

Sniffles crack against him, almost his undoing. He nearly clears his voice awkwardly, almost swallows his words back, when she lifts her head, unraveling from her sheltered state with watery eyes to show for it. "I'm not going to let them down. I'm not going to let your efforts be wasted Meliodas, I promise you." She blinks determined eyes allowing rivers to flow, and air escapes him as he feels drowned beneath her sudden flare of emotion. "O-okay?"

He can do nothing but agree.

* * *

The swipes of his blade are clean and precise. The images in his mind precise. Meliodas strikes out harder through the air, wanting to become better, wanting there to be no mistakes, wanting to be sure he can end all those who cross him. He trains alone this exercise as usual. His peers either training together in groups of two or more around him like always. He knows it has more to do with the way he becomes when his fingers curl around the handle of a sword. His expression smoothing into an eerie calm. His demeanor tilting on its axis ever so slightly. Sure when it comes to training he usually gives it his all—unless he believes he could be doing something more worthwhile that is—but having a sword in his hand is infinitely different. He's had to use a blade to cut more than just air or the occasional rock.

The thrill still rests heavily in his lungs making each breath crisp with anticipation every time he practices his form.

They're outside near the mountainous regions with oozing volcanoes. The air is just short of scorched making each lungful a true workout. The ground is hazardous built of cracked, jagged stones meant to make you think twice about how you place your steps. Meliodas has spent a good hour judging by the slight burn of exertion running up his left arm and shoulder practicing his swordplay. He lets out a breath then allows his eyes to peer around his surroundings. There are young demons his age everywhere, some getting the aid of the aged tutor while others help from the few adolescents that are permitted to advise their younger group. Still there are a few that hang alone like him content to train alone.

Meliodas focuses inward once more switching his sword from his left hand to his right. His right hand is definitely not as fluid or as strong as his left and he hates having to practice with it, but he always tells himself, what if his left was broken or something? Better prepared than sorry. He twists his wrist slightly to and fro feeling the foreignness of the weight already no matter how many times he's practiced like this. Still though, he slides into a ready stance then tries to focus his mind. His slashes are wide and sloppy, far from the tight cuts and twists he'd done before that would've cleaved through his obstacle with the right amount of force and power. The force is there, he can feel it in the tension of his muscles, it's just the precision.

It's only a portion into the time he usually takes when working on his less dominate hand when he begins to hear voices. He tries to work through it focusing on _swipe, swipe, thrust, spin, slash,_ but the prattle is insistent and he grows sloppy. It's not uncommon to hear others talking around him of course. But usually they're not so close and it tends to be about swordplay. From the snippets of conversation he's hearing swordplay is the last thing on their mind.

"Are you insane, Monspiet? Are you trying to catch her demontis?" A voice that almost reminds him of squeaky metal demands.

"No, I simply think she's a person worth befriending, Galan." A calm rebuttal is quick to follow.

" _My ass!"_ Galan hisses in a derisive kind of way and Meliodas slams his sword into his sheath intent on getting the two out of his earshot one way or another.

Meliodas turns in their direction already seeing the two in the fiery glow of the distant lava. He can already tell the lanky horned head metal weirdo is going to get on his last nerves. The other one with a calm glaze to his eyes although bearing a fierce scowl to his lips might not be too bad. Meliodas walks evenly towards them, taking a seat on a rock right next to them. Head already leaning on a curled fist, he barks out a swift, "What the hell are you two going on about?"

They both jump at his sudden interruption and he inwardly snorts. So much for being wary of your surroundings.

"P-Prince Meliodas! W-what bring you h-here?" Metal suck up with a squeak in his voice is clearly Galan. Meliodas knew he wouldn't like the guy.

Meliodas jabs a thumb in the general direction he came from. "I was over there practicing when you two started jabbering, so fess up. What's the point of this interruption."

Meliodas watches boredly as Galan's jagged jaw opens and shuts in apparent indecision before Monspiet speaks up. "Galan here thinks it inappropriate for me to become friends with a girl. He claims I'll catch her demontis."

A long finger points accusingly in Monspiet's direction as Galan cries, "It's true. Don't you think there's a reason we're all split up?"

Meliodas' eyes flick around then trying to see if there's any truth to these words. He does notice that the girls only seem to be around their gender and the boys follow this same route. But… his mind floods with images of bright blue eyes and excited giggles and his eyes narrow. " _Bullshit_."

Galan squares his knobby shoulders then states in a haughty tone that makes Meliodas' eyebrow twitch, "I wouldn't expect you to understand this your highness seeing as you don't like anyone, but girls are meant to lure you in. They're _different_ than us. They try to use those differences to make us become friends with them and then _boom_! Demontis."

Meliodas shifts in his seated position, running fingers over a temple as he listens to the nonsense coming out of Galan's mouth. _Differences?_ What kind of moron would believe that? "What supposedly happens if they do become friends then?"

"Well obviously they lose their senses and eventually disappear. We haven't seen Fraudrin around now have we?"

From the look that crosses Monspiet's face this Fraudrin guy has indeed gone missing, but Meliodas is sure this has a more reasonable explanation to it. "Derrierie is a bit different and I quite like that, but I don't see how—"

"You both are different and yet you're friends. Neither of you have dissapeared." Meliodas cuts in wanting to squash any authority this Galan seems to have on this ridiculous subject. He lets his eyes rest on Monspiet's coal black gaze for a moment before starting with a shrug, "If you want to let this asshole dictate your decision, be my guest. But I don't believe any of the shit this guy's spewing."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. Since you've never paid attention to anyone but yourself you don't even know what differences I'm referring to." The metallic airhead points out just when Monspiet was about to come a decision.

Meliodas grins like a maniac as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Enlighten me then." This has become a challenge he's determined to win.

If metal could sweat, Meliodas is sure Galan would be filling buckets of it right now. "Well girls are, um, pretty."

"Are you saying you're ugly?" Meliodas tilts his head innocently.

Monspiet fails to hide a snort.

"Prettier than us!" Galan hisses clearly embarrassed. "They're also soft!"

"So you've touched them…?" Meliodas lifts one hand temporarily from their fold to point at Galan.

"Wouldn't you have caught their demontis then?" Monspiet is quick to follow, his lips not moving from their even set, but the humor is clearly there in his tone.

"I meant they're not fighters!"

Meliodas eyes a particular girl taking to the idea of sword fighting quite well if he had a say. "You're failing to make a point here…" Smile now smug.

Galan's mouth twists into a biting snarl as a stomps a foot petulantly smashing stone. "How would you even know? You're just a pompous brat who doesn't care about anyone but yourself!"

Galan had steadily been chipping at his nerves bit by bit and Meliodas hadn't cared because he felt the idiot was lower than him. But those words hit something soft inside him and he doesn't like it. Not one bit. His posture changes subtle. His hands curling into the stone beside him as his goes utterly silent. His eyelids fall just slightly thinning his gaze in Galan's direction. It's just a few changes, but it's enough to make the air feel as if it dropped to a cold day in hell. "I don't have to explain myself to you. But for his benefit I will say that I do know a girl."

"L-liar!" Galan still feel he has to prove himself, foolish as it is, and continues with a noticeable chatter in his tone. "If y-you really do, t-then what's her n-name?"

Meliodas pins him with his gaze for a long moment. "Elizabeth."

A look of delight attempts to wash away the fear tightening Galan's expression. "There's no one our age named—"

Meliodas hopping down from his place silences the other sharply. Monspiet looks on wordlessly, knowing his place and having made his decision on the matter long ago to side with the prince. "She's younger than me. Besides, she wouldn't be here anyway." He bites out with finality.

The matter settled in his mind, Meliodas strides away feeling more than ready to strike down imaginary metal lug heads with Elizabeth sitting warm and safe in his thoughts.

* * *

There's leaps and bounds of them laid out in front of the two. All of different shapes, sizes, and colors, though he does notice an abundance of yellow dotted in one area. The air is almost disgustingly fresh, filled to the brim with a sweetness that should rot teeth. These are her favorite. Flowers.

He casts a glance in her direction wondering what she thinks of his find. He's nearly blown away by the shine in her eyes, the light in her smile, the pure happiness radiating from her more intensely than the sun's rays that fall on them now. ' _She's elated by something as simple as this_?' It boggles his mind yet lifts his hearts uncomfortably. Does he actually feel _good_ about her reaction?

"Oh my..." She whispers deeply awed and he can notice her vibrating in place. "This is so amazing!" With the ecstatic squeal she darts forward with a quick beat of her wings. He watches as she swoops through the flowers with excited cheers and cries, her figure twisting in delight as flurries of petals soar all around her.

Meliodas stands stiffly to the side unable to take his eyes away. Studying her has become almost second nature to him. Seeing her roll around in the tall flowers, white dress rumpled and stained in grass and various shades of colors is different. The way she picks a few and pins them in her hair or pulls them to her nose so that she can take in their fragrance is surreal. Watching Elizabeth play in the flowers is like watching her completely let go of the invisible weight she's been lugging with her. She's like a bird taking to the air for the first time so late in its life and for some reason that realization is like icicles piercing his chest.

"Meliodas!" Her warm cry of his name melts away his observations for now. "Meliodas, come on! Won't you join me? This is so fun! _Please_?" She's looking at him from her place practically buried in a sea of daisies, the blue of her eyes popping out amongst them stunningly.

He pursues his lips and crosses his arms. Playing with a goddess in flowers? Sure he saw the place and the first thing he thought of was her and how excited she'd be if she saw it too, but that's about as far as it was supposed to go! Playing around isn't exactly his thing and Elizabeth should know that from the numerous times he's turned her down. He looks at her again out of the corner of his eye when he doesn't respond immediately to see that she _does_ know this and she has gone back to playing on her own, albeit a bit more half heartedly. _'She always asks me to join no matter what...'_ A weird feeling ripples through his chest. _'Maybe I should give her this.'_

So he decides. His hands work off the clasping of his scabbard letting it drop to the ground, mentally memorizing where it's placed just in case. Then his lips curl mischievously as his darkness stretches out from between his shoulder blades. Fingers curled like claws, Meliodas flies towards the unsuspecting goddess and tackles her the way she did him the first time they met. Her voice spills in the air in a surprised yell just when he pins her under him. He's laughing in mirth the sound shaking his chest until he notices her rounded mouth and wide eyed gape locked on him. Now he begins to second guess his actions—something he never does. Maybe she doesn't play this way or perhaps he was to rough—she is pretty fragile? So lost in his growing worries he misses the spark of excited ignite on her face. He does feel it when she grips his wrists and forces them to roll over.

"No way am I going to lose!" she taunts, her voice sounding almost as wild as her hair is beginning to look. But it knocks some sense into him as he throws all of his reservations out the window. Lose what he doesn't know, but he's certainly not going to be the one to do so!

This starts an all out tumbling match between the two with Elizabeth's squealing giggles only punctured by his bouts of gasping chortles. Elizabeth does not go easy on him, attempting to squash him with her smaller figure when she gets him on his back, her entire little body sitting on his stomach and legs as her hands quickly search to find his weak points—also known as the spots that make him snort with laughter. Once he catches onto her plans, he tries to snatch up her dainty hands or block his sides—who knew they were so vulnerable?

Of course the best part happens when he goes to retaliate.

The look on her face truly is priceless. Her cheeks already glowing red from her laughter merely makes the drop of her jaw and the round flutter of shock in her eyes that much better. She plays the whole thing off as if he's betraying her and it tickles his insides to an insane degree. "No! No, you can't! Meliodas! Meli... Hehehe... Meliodas!" Her body flinches and jerks away from his fingers, slipping like water through his grasp as she wriggles away from the experimental pokes and prods he deploys.

"Oh, so you don't like your own games, huh?" He taunts with a grin so wide in nearly splits his face. He knows he could easily pin her down and do his worse, have her laughing so hard tears would track down her cherry cheeks, but it's oddly fun letting her think she has the lead.

That is until she jumps from his grasp then takes to the air with a tease thrown at him over her shoulder. "Oh I like that I'm _winning_!"

He sits still for all of a second before giving chase. "No you don't!"

Their game takes to the air becoming a speedy pursuit. Elizabeth's amazing at evading him, seemingly adept at diving into the flowers only to emerge with fist fills to chuck back at him, slowing him down. He never thought something as simple and ridiculous as playing with a goddess could be just as fun as overcoming a challenge. But it is. And he can't say he regrets experiencing this.

His eyes track her movements seeing the tell-tell signs of his victory in the horizon in her rushed breathing and sloppier movements through the air. When she goes for a swoop, Meliodas cuts through the wind encircling her waist as he plunges them in flowers. Elizabeth's half on his chest but instead of acting he lies there and gazes up at the drifting clouds. He can feel the tension coiling inside of her as she waits for him to attack.

Her fingers twitch on his belly. "Aren't you gonna tickle me?" It's a hesitant question stretched out carefully towards him as if the reminder will make him snap.

But he only grins. "Nope."

Elizabeth sags against him in relief, her exhaustion clear and practically screaming, _Thank goodness!_

"I so win though." He points out cheekily.

A pause of indecision. Then, "Fine."

She's not a fighter, but he's starting to not care too much. That doesn't necessarily mean she isn't strong in her own after all.

A slow surprised inhaling of breath from her makes him jolt. Then she presses her head closer to his torso. "You have so many hearts..."

He's not nearly as winded as her, but the exertion from earlier would still have his hearts beating faster than usual. Still he feels a squeeze of uncertainty go through his chest. "Yeah... Didn't you know demons have more than one?"

Elizabeth presses up from him then, her hands lying flat on his stomach as she sits up beside him. He can see the details of her face clearly as she gazes straight ahead. Her expression is flat like the life is suddenly sucked from her matching her tone perfectly as she apparently recites something. "A demon has more than one heart. Don't go after one unless you're certain you can take them all out." She then flicks her gaze down to him as her vitality is slowly rekindled first in the tiny way her lips curl up. A smile for him. "I knew demons had multiple hearts, but I didn't think there would be more than two or three."

"Seven." He tells her without pause locking his eyes with hers as his hearts beat under her palms. "I have seven." It's stupid of him. He should never tell a goddess of all beings how many hearts he has. In fact he should be miffed that she's learned about demons while information about goddesses is kept from him. But the lack of hesitation, the wish to share this knowledge about himself with her all point to one thing: _Trust_. He trusts Elizabeth.

"Whoa.." She marvels at the idea, looking at his chest in pure wonder.

It takes a bit of strength to strip his gaze away from her face and to the sky again but he does. And in the time of his lack of focus on her she sneakily begins to gather petals and pepper them across his chest. He only takes notice when she leans over him with a wide grin and releases a bright red one on top of his forehead. Meliodas lifts an eyebrow as he watches her dissolve into a fit of giggles.

"You're the best, Meliodas." Her lips press together, sliding between her teeth for a moment in clear thought. He wonders over what when she continues in a soft breath, "My best friend."

His hearts jump to his ribs kicking the breath right out of him. He prays she doesn't feel it, the goddess declaring her enemy her best friend. _Best friend!?_ Why would she even feel that way? Feeling more winded than when they'd played together before, Meliodas burns his gaze into the side of her face she now presents him out of clear embarrassment. "What about those friends you were looking for before, when you found me instead that day?"

Elizabeth goes very still as if petrified in place. Then very carefully her hands slide from his torso leaving behind a blanket of ice. When she gives him her eyes he honestly wishes he hadn't said a thing. They appear soulless, too pasty compared to their usual vibrant radiance. The shimmer there tells of incoming tears and that's something he hopes he could've prevented with a desperation he doesn't recognize.

"Those goddesses... They were just lying to me saying I could play with them as some kind of joke, but... But the first chance they got they left me behind." Her tone is worse than the monotone it had taken on before because now he can hear the sadness in each word all the way down to her core. "I didn't realize for so long after because I always wish to give people the benefit of the doubt, but... b-but—"

Meliodas sits up quickly feeling a terrible twinge go through him. His hands twitch to do something, _anything_ but stay usually at his sides. And they nearly move to encircle her too. But something horribly jarring slams into his senses making him hiss in pure alarm. He does grab Elizabeth then, but to pull her up so that he can dash hastily in the direction of his sword. Something huge is coming and they have to hide, _now_.

The foreboding creeps up inch by inch prowling closer like a cloud across the sky. When he spots the place he left his sword he dives towards it keeping Elizabeth right in his arms. He can feel her fingers digging into his sides when he clamors over her concealing her as best as he can in the flowers. She hasn't made much of a sound besides her initial yelp when he picked her up and took off running. She has to know there's a danger lurking near, but just in case he brings his lips near the crown of her head and whispers, "Stay quiet, okay?" Her head tucked beneath his jerkily nods and he tries and fails to relax.

He having a bit more control over his power makes it smaller with a bit of effort so they hopefully aren't detected. Elizabeth's power is a bit different, always so bright and clear in his mind when she's around. She doesn't quite control it just yet. But it must be instinct because it becomes nothing more than a blip in her fear. Meliodas holds his breath as it gets closer, knowing what they're hiding from, but having no idea they could feel so horrifying in strength. He has a long way to go to catch up and surpass. If they're discovered he'd be able to get in a hit or two before being overwhelmed. So he takes the cowardly way out by hiding for Elizabeth's sake.

What he was feeling before moves over them like a layer of jagged ice. Then it passes by without incident.

Meliodas lets go of his breath then slowly moves to uncover Elizabeth. She sits up blinking astonished eyes at him. "What was that?"

Feeling it flying further away from them in the distance he tells her, "A goddess."

Instead of nodding in understanding, she looks downright terrified. Her hands quake as they fly over her mouth to smother her gasp. "Oh no, oh no, _oh no!_ I wasn't supposed to leave the Celestial Realm today, but I _couldn't stay_ — I—" She sucks in a breath far to painful for her own good then lets her hands drop as two tears fall. She smiles at him with overwhelming gratefulness right after, the perfect way to stab him in the chest then leave him confused after. "I wanted to see you though." Elizabeth hugs him tightly as he struggles to swallow to even _breathe_ , then whispers quickly in his ear, "Thanks for making today the best I've ever had... I h-have to g-go now."

She pulls away from him then flies swiftly in the air disappearing with an abruptness that claws at his insides. And he simply looks on, feeling strangely as if she was just ripped away from him somehow.

* * *

He doesn't even notice when the sound of rushing water rises to his ears. The familiar waterfall comes into sight like a godsend, a blanket of refuge much needed after the blowup he'd caused in the Underworld. The raw anger from before still burns under his skin hardly cooled down by the light sprinkles of water he feels when flying behind the small opening hidden to the side of the falling water. Solitude for a bit is what he desires. To get away from the demanding glares and oppressive words for a bit. The calm ambiance of the abandoned library already works to soothe his agitation. The thought to light the torches on the back walls crosses his mind, except when his narrowed eyes glimpse around, softly glowing orange already illuminates the room.

Meliodas stops dead center of the tiled platform where a familiar crack from his fist mars its surface. He's not alone.

It's odd, so blinded by his own centered focus he actually missed the bright glow that is Elizabeth's energy which he feels now practically brushing along his fingertips. He turns to his left as his lips purse and his eyebrows lower in concentration. What is she doing here? Slowly he walks towards the bookshelves, crossing over the trail of water leading outwards as he tries to summon a reason for her being here so late on her own.

In the beginning they used to plan when they'd meet. In a few days, where they first met, easy and simple. But then time passed and it was natural for them to show up there and now here without an expressed notation, unless something came up in their lives of course. But as Meliodas creeps closer to the sound of fragile sniffles, he wonders if him coming here tonight had anything to do with wanting to escape the fury he was falling into back home... or if it was some kind of instinctive move to get to her.

When he emerges from between the shelves to find Elizabeth hunched over one of the many tables, palms pressed to her face, tiny figure dressed up more primly than he's ever seen her, Meliodas completely forgets about his anger from before.

Awkwardly his hands go to his pockets and he stares for a moment at the scuffs in his boots. Then he focuses his gaze gently on her quivering frame. "From what I heard, princesses shouldn't cry."

Elizabeth's head jerks up revealing puffy eyes and red gleaming cheeks. He actually gets a good look at her now and is a little surprised to see the bright red added to her lips as if she were playing dress up with her mother's things. Her hair usually down and flowing is also piled atop her head neatly with little ringlets framing her face. She really does look the part of the princess, though Meliodas honestly believes she looks that way any day, with grass strains and flower petals in her hair too.

Though Elizabeth is still adamant in withholding her status, shutting her mouth and furrowing her brows in an almost pained display. "B-but I'm not a—"

"You look like one," he points out with a light smirk. It doesn't bother him as much as it should, her keeping things from him. It probably has something to do with that look of panic that comes to her eyes when her secrets are touched upon. There's something way more going on than just keeping him in the dark that makes her hold onto them so tight he doesn't mind letting things go with her.

Her eyelashes flutter briefly in apparent shock at his words, then her chin bows as she attempts to hide a smile. "Thank you, Meliodas." Her words are airy with an overabundance of something utterly heartfelt that he winds up standing stiff for a moment as his skin prickles. He used to wonder how she could be affected by the simplest of things. As he brings a hand to his arm to try and rub off the chills while taking a seat beside her, he figures it's because she cares.

Letting out a breath, Meliodas bumps his knee to hers. "What happened?"

She brings a hand up to lay flat against the surface of the table, her hand appearing small and fair in comparison to the aged wood. Then a finger arches beginning to drag around in random patterns. His eyes watch her face for a moment seeing the forlorn look overwhelming her blue hues before he to focuses his gaze on her moving hand. "There was a ball this evening that I had to attend. I hadn't been looking forward to it in the slightest, but when I arrived... it was simply _magical_."

A ball? He's snuck to a few that had been held in his realm. From what he'd seen they'd been absolute snores. People dancing, talking, and making sure to be their snootiest didn't appeal to him. He hasn't been asked to go of course. Too young and all that so he's dodged the edge of blades plenty there. Elizabeth though seems to have been shoved over the tip if her tears are to go by.

"For a while things were going fine," she continues softly. "I knew everything I had to do, I greeted everyone well, I did as I was told." Her hand stills and he looks up at her face finding tears welling there once again. "But then came the dance."

She sniffs and chokes out an imitation of a laugh that burns his chest and twists his gut. He stays silent though and continues to listen. She still has a story to tell and he hasn't found a way to chase away her tears just yet after all.

"You know, I didn't think it would quite be that bad. I had been taught the basics." She turns in her seat to face him more fully before the gentle pressure of her hand falls on his shoulder, her fingers curling just slightly into the material of his shirt. Her other slides across his left palm and without thought he curls his hand around hers. "I'm supposed to do this, then follow my partner's lead. It would've been fine if they hadn't been so desperate to humiliate me."

He's never heard a voice so beaten, so small before in his existence. Never before has he wished he knew of some way to soothe away the thick moisture from her words that he fears she won't be able to swallow. His lack of know how leads him to pulling her hand from his shoulder. His hands tighten over hers as he leans just a bit closer, his expression darkening ever so slightly at the continuous way her lips quiver and the drops of tears that slip down her cheeks. "Why would they do that?"

"I was the youngest there. It only makes sense."

"Don't make excuses for those shitheads. You said it yourself, you did nothing wrong." He inserts fiercely staring her down as his certainty burns hotly in his eyes. She stills blue eyes wide and shiny realizing his words a far easier to take than the ones she were forcing herself to spill. Then her mouth moves curling up softly in a way he just _knows_ belongs to him and he has to be the one to look down now, to slide his hands carefully away from hers because he swears something just jumped in a nervous way inside of his chest.

"It doesn't really matter in the end," she sighs sounding less anguished than before. "The night was ruined. I thought it would be something magical and I would actually get to dance... like a princess."

Something in her tone forces him to swallow the weird feeling and look up. "So what's stopping you?" He doesn't know why he says the words, but when the hesitant rays of hope glimmer across her face as she sits straighter in her chair he comes to understand that this is what he's been looking for. So he keeps going. Standing from his seat he shrugs a shoulder while raising an eyebrow. "We could always dance... That is if you don't mind a prince in casual rags."

Elizabeth all but soars from her seat her arms encircling one of his as she tries to laughs away the weight of night thus far. "I don't care _what_ you are! I'd be more than happy to dance with you, Meliodas!"

She's sincere and truly delighted by the idea. He can see it in the sparkle forming in her cerulean gaze. It puts him in a sort of compromised position as he begins to tug her back the way he came to the more open part of the library. Sure he wants her smiling and laughing, all those weird things that seem tainted with hate and derision back where he comes from. And right now to have her that way is a dance. Simple. _In theory._ He's never danced a day in his life. Only witnessed the act on occasion. ' _Maybe this won't lead to any disappointment,'_ he mentally reassures himself as Elizabeth begins to hum a tune—maybe one she'd heard earlier that evening—her grip on him remaining as firm as ever.

When they reach the path of water he expects her to hop across it with her usual excitable giggle. Instead she steps over it with him albeit more carefully than he. He assumes it has something to do with her fine wear. At the center of the room Elizabeth stands in front of him lips unusually red but still stretched to their limit as she gazes up at him. Meliodas can almost feel the happiness buzzing off of her sparking at his fingertips when he goes to reach for her. But he pulls back at the last moment when he's not sure of his next move. That's what ultimately brings him to say, "I hope it doesn't matter that I don't know what to do." Admitting a fault isn't easy. In fact he may as well be taking a punch to the gut for how good it feels. But this is important to Elizabeth... Which means it's also important to him? What kind of logic is that?

Elizabeth must spot his rising frustration with the keenest of a hunter and her prey, because she smiles encouragingly, then slips her hand in his left like before capturing the astray emotion with ease. "It's okay. We aren't going to do anything elaborate. Just simple _one, two, three_ steps forward and the same back. Maybe a few spins if you're bold enough." The cheeky smirk she adorns at the end restores his confidence immensely so that when she places her free hand on his shoulder, his falls to the satin material over her waist. They lock eyes for a moment and he grins wildly.

It shouldn't be too hard. The music Elizabeth hummed before floods his mind and it's simple to fill in the blanks if her one, two, three pattern is to go by. Still he lets her pull him into motion to begin with, his eyes immediately falling downward to try and visualize their movements—more so to help avoid accidentally stepping on her feet than anything. He can hardly see hers though with the length of her off white fluffy dress. So in the end his steps forward wind up being extremely short and on the way back he practically runs away from her. An awkward experience if he's ever had to judge.

The smooth hand in his tightens as a joyous sound bubbles up then bursts in front of him tapering of their movements for the moment. Meliodas looks up surprised to see Elizabeth enjoying this somehow. "Meliodas, you're too tense. You'll do fine, don't worry!" A toothy grin takes over her face and he knows for a fact he's being teased when she continues, "Oh, and it helps to actually look up at your partner when dancing."

He rolls his eyes playfully, letting out a harsh breath for show. "Who would've thought a demon like me taking advice from a goddess."

She shrugs then gives him a side look barely able to contain a grin as she tells him, "Well your footwork could use all the help it can take."

He doesn't know why her meeting his challenge always excites him. He feels if she knew he was a prince she'd still treat him the same, on even ground, and he feels... What about that exactly? It's an all over sensation that's grown on him over time. Well whatever it is it's definitely something that belongs only to Elizabeth just like that small smile that spreads its warm in her eyes belongs to him.

"Fine then. I think I know what to do thanks to your sagely advice." He remarks after a beat.

"Then let's get back to it!"

Things seem to go marginally better. Listening to her words, Meliodas keeps his eyes on Elizabeth's face and begins to move on an action-reaction basis. So the jerky running type dance they had before is smoothed just a bit into less of an eye sore. This way Meliodas can actually melt into the sensation of actually dancing and see whether it's a useful endeavor or not. However the first thing he really notices is the tremble of his hearts and the nervous prickle at his palms. He's worried about messing up badly somehow. And how can he not when Elizabeth appears so content. Her eyes actually fall closed when they manage to pull off a successful set of steps without halting abruptly to reassess. He does note a slight tension in her jaw that's normally not there. It's not from frustration—she never seems to become annoyed with him. He's not entirely sure of what it's from, but the oddity is put aside for the moment when his focus shifts. When he meets her eyes once more he finds a sheepish glint to them that soon matches the weak smile she gives him. A question builds in his mind and it's just enough to throw off his rhythm as they shift into a spin.

His boot traps her toes beneath it.

Meliodas hops back instantly with a curse on his lips. He can walk across some of the most hardest terrains, but he can't move in tandem with Elizabeth? What kind of crap is that? His eyes fling up from where his feet are to find Elizabeth's face, already feeling a boiling shame sear at his neck for his incompetence. The apology he'd been planning to offer falls apart in his mouth going down like metal shards when he sees the pain etched into her expression leaking down her face rapidly as she tries to keep everything in like always. The effort of her attempt is locked so tight in her jaw she inevitably breaks and a tiny sound is yanked from her ruthlessly. The words make him bleed inside taunting him with the fact that they'll never be enough to erase the pain he brought her.

But how could such a small misstep cause such damage? The dread weighing the thought presses against him insistently and something finally dawns. His strained expression smoothes into the kind of calm you want to run away from the moment the pieces fall into place: Elizabeth using him as a crutch unknowingly, her refusal to hop across the water, the strain in her jaw as they danced, all of it makes perfect sense in his mind.

"M-Meliodas, I'm sorry I'm so w-weak. I shouldn't cry over a s-simple toe stub."

And her apologizing over it just makes the swelling pressure inside of him that much worse. He ignores her, coolly slipping into a kneeling position to affirm his suspicions. When his fists gather the hem of her dress with a barely noticeable tremble in them, Elizabeth gives an anxious pleading noise that drops off completely when he lifts the material to her knees and sees what he knew would be there all along. She wears simple sandals that strap upwards along her legs meant for fashion not protection. He can easily see the blood that swells just beneath her skin in ugly flowerings from numerous kicks and stomps. He'd seen her like this once before. Her skin bruised and bloodied, split from the vile acts of others. It had sent him into a vengeful rage then. He can feel the same raw urge now scratching beneath his skin, pressing against his lungs, darkening his vision.

"Who did this, Elizabeth?" He quietly demands letting her dress fall like a curtain between him and his trigger. She only pulls in a shuddered breath refusing to answer. So he rises looking her right in the eye as his unbridled emotions threaten to choke up his words. "What do you want me to do, Elizabeth? I'll do it for you without hesitation." She won't have to lift a finger. The blood of her tormentors will be on his hands and he'll carry that with him gladly. She only stares at him wide eyed, her lips pressed together tightly as if her words are too painful for her to let free. His hands fly to her upper arms clutching her as he all but begs, "Elizabeth, tell me—!" _'Please. They're hurting you.'_ A small voice cries out at the back of his mind.

Instead of speaking she throws herself into his chest and wraps her arms around him like a snare and he feels little tremors go through her as she breathes, feels her warmth sink into him. Meliodas thinks something happens inside of him then like when he was younger and watched fissures crawl along the wall after it'd been hit.

Elizabeth gently eases her words out at the side of neck. "You can't do anything for me there, Meliodas."

Inevitably it all fell apart. Meliodas lifts a hand brushing underneath his eye, then stares blankly at the wetness he finds smearing his fingers. He almost doesn't understand what it is, doesn't get what's happening. Until Elizabeth continues her softly spoken words.

"But just knowing that you'd do anything for me..." Her fingers curl harder into his back and her words thicken with an emotion pent up for ages, her words coiling around him with the sweetness of a freshly bloomed blossom. "I'm the happiest I've ever been because of you."

When he realizes what the scratch in his throat and the burn in his eyes are—him crying for the first time since he was a young spawn—he doesn't feel angered by the sting of his show of weakness. He feels more broken by his inability to do anything useful.

Elizabeth tentatively pulls back and his breath stops cold in his throat when she sees his face expecting some kind of pity to flare up in her eyes at his tears. But Elizabeth has always been different from what he's known. Instead of scorn she takes her hand and wipes gently at his cheeks. Instead of condemning him she treats him with kindness above all else. "You know what would make things even better?" She asks while putting her hands on his shoulders smiling weakly in an attempt to put him at ease and make him forget.

But the anguish stomping and smashing at the broken bits inside of him make it impossible for him to simply forget—and impossible for him to find the damn off switch to the waterworks at his eyes for some reason. So he shakes his head looking down, silenced for the moment.

"If we finished our dance..." She urges in warm tone that wraps around him in a comforting blanket.

To finish their dance. Meliodas runs the idea in his mind for only a second before reaching for her startling her when his hands slip around her to pull her up and place her feet right on top of his. Meliodas looks up blinking away the water from his eyes to find her face level with his for once. Elizabeth notices it too because she smiles, a small genuine thing that sinks right through him lifting away some of the burden within. "I can look you in the eye now. Can you imagine one day when we're older and I won't have to be on your toes to do that?" She blinks and worry passes over her blue eyes like a dark cloud. "I'm not hurting you am I?"

He shakes his head keeping his hold on her secure as he starts to guide them around in slow steps. "No. You're as light as a feather."

He barely catches her whispered, "Good," her hands encircling his shoulders as she pulls her head beside his before the impact of her words start to pelt him harshly. She sees them knowing each other for years in the future. And doesn't he as well? The thought of Elizabeth suddenly disappearing is utterly harrowing to his mind.

His movements abruptly become like nothing from before. Meliodas moves them across the floor with a slow fluidity that matches the heart beating near his. He's far from graceful, but there's feeling that wasn't there before. There's emotions tinging the air that surpasses the magical quality Elizabeth held for the ball, because this can be felt with the pads of the fingers. This can be felt in the way they practically float across the floor.

He'd never been close to anyone. There's never been anyone he's wanted to be close to. Meeting Elizabeth that day had been pure luck. Allowing himself to become used to her presence afterwards was not. She grew on him. Showed him things he's still befuddled about. How can two people of enemy races become companions? How can he a demon like him become this goddess' best friend? ' _What is she to me?'_

Meliodas' hands at her back just under her wings begin to tremble, so he clutches her closer in an act to steady them. But when his face nestles to the side of her neck and their slow dance drifts to a close he realizes he's holding onto her for dear life. _'I don't want to lose you, Elizabeth... I'm your best friend. Is that what you are to me too?_ ' But the words "best friend" seem like such a pitifully weak human term. What she is to him deserves a more significant meaning to him. _'You're... my Elizabeth. And I refuse to lose you.'_ And just like that, something shifts within him unknowingly. A missing piece tipping right into place.

"Meliodas?"

He inhales quickly, then unravels her from his desperate hug. She keeps her eyes to his face as he sits her on her own feet most likely out of concern. But he pays this no mind, swiftly wiping away any remaining tears, thankful to feel his emotions balancing out. "Give me some answers at least." He prompts as a way of answering her. He can see her shuffling, can easily find the way she wants to hide away from divulging anything, but he has to know. "Why were you made to go there, Elizabeth?" His voice is a tired breath.

And she must notice because she seems to straighten up. A look of decisiveness coming to her eyes. Her fingers reach out then stop near the top of his chest making his eyebrows furrow for a moment. But as they trail along to several different places he suddenly realizes what she's doing. Her fingers stop atop the thuds of his last heart as she finds it in her to trust him with what she has to say. "I had to go because I am their princess."

This is not news to him, but he nods evenly recognizing her strength in letting him in just a bit. But still... "I've never been required to go to a shitty ball and I'm older than you. What's the difference?"

Elizabeth's hand falls back to her side as she stares at him with a twisted expression wholly confused. "What do you mean? Why would you be required, unless—"

A guillotine could've gone off for how quickly the color disappears from her face and the words fade from her mouth. It's horribly silent as he stands before her stiff and uncertain. The gush of the water in the background even fails to power through it. A look comes to her eyes as she gazes at him, one he's never seen her give him before and he starts to feel his hearts squeeze and _squeeze_ so tight he's certain they're going to burst.

"You're him." She eventually says in a voice so quiet yet to him she could be screaming for all the agony tearing through her words. "You're the demon prince." A layer of moisture glazes over her eyes but instead of breaking and tumbling down her face it seems to solidify like ice. "You know, I swore to myself that I would hate you with everything I have, that I would make you pay for everything I've been through."

Meliodas inwardly withers at her words, for once not knowing what he's done to deserve such vicious ire, especially from _her_. Never from his Elizabeth whom he'd do anything for.

But then the frosty look falls away from her gaze overcome by such hopelessness, the young demon fears he won't be able to help her escape it. "But that's the thing, isn't it? How can I hate you, someone who has nothing to do with this? How can I hate you, my best friend?" She closes her eyes and he can see it in the way her footing wavers. He catches her neatly bringing them both down to the floor when the exhaustion begins to pull her under. Though she tells him one last thing before she completely relaxes against him. "The answer's obvious. I _can't_."


End file.
